


Stuck Between Two Worlds

by kittyface27



Series: Crossovers [1]
Category: One Piece, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Ace in bnha world, Adventure, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bakugo is an angry child, Brief Depression, Brief Mental Breakdown, Close Friendship, Drama, Gen, Haki, He doesn't want to be, League of Villains, Loop, My Hero Academia - Freeform, Mystery, Plot Twists, Shigaraki Tomura - Freeform, Shirohige Kaizoku-dan | Whitebeard Pirates, Teach is dead, Time Loop, UA, UA High School, ace fights nomus like a boss, ace is awesome at pretending to be evil, ace is friends with all might, ace is overpowered, ace is seen as a hero, ace makes fun of villains, ace torments students a bit, alternate universe my hero academia, boku no hero academia - Freeform, brief alcoholism, class 1-a - Freeform, devil fruits are stronger than quirks, like 5 fix its in the whole story, mirio is a fluffy marshmallow, multiple fix its, pro heroes, takes place after Thatch is attacked
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:55:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 149,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26485273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittyface27/pseuds/kittyface27
Summary: Ace didn't expect a trip into a forest with Thatch would throw him into a completely unfamiliar world. Now he's trapped in a loop, transported between this weird world and his home one. Trapped between a world where he's a criminal pirate and one where he's seen as a hero, no matter if he doesn't want to be. Can he be strong and stand this loop, or will he break under the pressure?
Relationships: Fushichou Marco | Phoenix Marco & Portgas D. Ace, Portgas D. Ace & All Might, Portgas D. Ace & Class 1-A, Portgas D. Ace & Togata Mirio
Series: Crossovers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1925449
Comments: 140
Kudos: 385
Collections: Time Travel and World Travel





	1. An Unfamiliar Place

**So this is my second one posted, but was my first crossover. The main character is Ace, the story from his point of view, but there are bnha characters in the spot light as well. It's a mix of both worlds, Ace in the bnha world. There's some violence, especially near the end, but not TOO bad (I think). Anyways, I hope you enjoy. It's a long one (all my crossovers seem to be over 145,000 words and one of them reached a new record of 200,000. But that one is taking forever to edit, so won't be posted anytime soon.) Enjoy~**

* * *

"C'mon, Ace, this is stupid," Thatch said in irritation. For once, he didn't want to explore a creepy forest, and Haruta was busy with his responsibilities. They were on an island that Ace hadn't been to before and not many of the pirates had explored it. Ace was curious, so of course they'd explore it! He just didn't want to do it alone, that was all.

"No! We have to find out if she's here!" Ace protested. Thatch sighed dramatically and then huffed like a child. He pointed out that the legend probably wasn't even true. People don't have magic! There was some folktale on the previous island that a witch lived here. Ace wanted to prove or disprove that it was actually true.

They could take care of themselves anyways, even if the woman existed. Ace was too curious for his own good. They'd been searching the island for an hour, and Thatch was thoroughly bored, even though there were interesting animals all around to look at. Ace was pretty sure Thatch was tired of the roots he kept tripping over.

Ace just burnt them easily to get them out of his way. Thatch wasn't using his swords, which Ace thought was stupid, if he was going to complain and groan the whole way, he could at least cut the roots apart so he didn't trip on them.

When they entered a clearing, they came across not a hut or house, but a huge dome made out of dirt and rock, with a cave door in it that was covered in vines. Ace gasped and ran forward, Thatch following closely. But then they got really close to it, Thatch suggested that they leave.

"C'mon, bro, we don't even know what's inside. There might be a monster!" Thatch insisted. Ace pointed out that his haki wasn't picking up anything alive. That the dome/cave was empty and just fine to explore.

"You can wait outside, I'll be out in a couple minutes," Ace said excitedly, and then moved the hanging vines aside to enter the dark space until he was suddenly spinning, feeling absolutely ill before he hit the ground hard, landing on his back and groaning. He was on grass now, and he couldn't feel Thatch anywhere near.

He sat up quickly and looked around. "Thatch?" he called, trying to figure out where the hell he was. He was on a large field of green grass, and there were what looked like glass buildings all around, bigger than any building Ace had ever seen. He stood up, rubbing his sore back, and grew concerned.

Where was he? This place was huge! And surrounded by tall walls, he could see on two sides. The other sides were blocked by the many buildings, so he couldn't see, but assumed there were walls there as well.

He started walking towards one of the buildings, trying to find anybody to explain where he was and how to get back. He looked back at the space he'd landed and found there was a burn mark there. He still felt a little nauseous from the spinning. He hoped Thatch was okay, but he didn't appear there, so he hadn't done whatever Ace had done by accident.

Ace didn't see anyone anywhere, since the place was so fucking huge. He had a feeling he was not anywhere close to where he'd been with his family. They must be worried about him, and Thach was probably in hysterics. Well, he'd be back soon. As soon as he found someone and asked how to get back, he'd return and recount his small adventure.

As he walked closer to the nearest building, he found the doors were locked, and felt that there was no one close inside. So, he headed in the other direction and heard noises echoing from someplace. Loud noises, like explosions and shouting and the crumbling of buildings.

He started walking quicker before he broke into a run. He finally was no longer on the grass and instead found himself in a place that had buildings and streets completely wrecked. What the hell happened here? He cautiously entered the area, wondering why this was enclosed in walls. Tall walls he knew would be hard to jump over without using fire to propel himself.

Maybe there was a gate to get out of, but he hadn't seen it yet if there was one. Plus, he didn't know if leaving this place would get him back home. When he finally found the source of the noise, he saw a bunch of kids, maybe teenagers, all standing around in strange outfits, and one adult.

Hopefully the big guy could help him out. "Hey! Hey, you!" Ace called, running towards them. He felt he didn't look too weird compared to the costumes all of these people were wearing. Everyone froze, and the adult looked at him in worry and suspicion, standing in front of the kids. Ace wasn't going to hurt them, but he _was_ a complete stranger in a strange place.

He knew nothing about this place, so perhaps strangers were looked down upon? There were obviously walls for a reason. He decided to get straight to the point. He stopped maybe ten feet away from the adult and kids.

"Can you tell me where the hell this is and how I can get out?" Ace asked simply. The adult blinked twice, looking at him in disbelief. Ace finally got a good look at his face, and wondered if he had eyes or they were completely gone. He was quite muscular, but nothing compared to how huge Pops was. He hoped they were okay and he'd get back soon.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Ace. Who are you?" Ace asked in return. Everyone looked shocked at that for some reason. The man introduced himself as "All Might". He didn't ask for his real name, it wasn't his business. "So, where is this?"

All Might seemed to think that Ace wasn't going to attack them, as he was leaving himself completely open, hands in his pockets and looking relaxed. He could fight if he was attacked, but he didn't want to look aggressive when they were already looking at him in a bit of fear. "You are at U.A. highschool. How did you get in, there is security at the gate?"

"Oh, there _is_ a gate. I sorta just appeared. I was with my brother and then I walked into some cave and now I'm here," Ace explained honestly. "It sounds kinda crazy, but it's the truth. Do you know how I can get back?" He sounded awkward, but friendly. He felt he was doing a good job coming off non threateningly.

All Might looked confused and curious, losing his bright grin that must hurt. The kids were no longer hiding behind him, but watching with curiosity and disbelief. "I'm not sure how you can get back if you're telling the truth. Do you have a time traveling quirk or perhaps a teleportation one?" Ace cocked his head and asked what a quirk was. "It's a super power that most people develop."

"Like devil fruits?" Ace wondered. All Might looked strangely at him, before he said class was over. All Might asked him to walk with him back to the main building. Ace was skeptical, but needed any information he could get. He would fight if he needed to, even though that wasn't desirable. "I do have a power, but it's from eating a devil fruit."

All Might asked what power, and Ace told him he was made of fire, and turned his body into fire to show him. For some reason, this made the man looked shocked and now taking him seriously. "Where did you come from?"

"An island in the New World. Our ship docked there and I went exploring in the woods and then found myself here. I appreciate the hel-" and then Ace was gone in a bright flash. His back hit the ground again and he found himself no longer in the crumbled part of whatever a high school was. "Ugh," he groaned, sitting up and finding himself back home.

"ACE!" Thatch screamed and tackled him. "You're okay! Where the hell did you go?!" he demanded. Ace chuckled, and told the story.

-x-

"It was soooo weird, guys. All these kids were wearing these silly costumes and the place was huge! The buildings were so tall and seemed to be made of glass. I have no idea what a high school is, but I wish I could have explored it more," Ace explained at dinner. He was so interested in that place. He wished he could visit it, but was also fine with never going again. He wouldn't be returning to the portal anytime soon.

Well, never, as they'd set sail already, away from the mystery island. "Man, I wish I had gone, too!" Thatch lamented. He had not gone into the cave once Ace disappeared, and instead went to get help. He couldn't feel Ace there anymore with his haki, so he knew going in the cave was useless.

"I don't know, the guy was taking me to the main building. He might have had bad plans for me, who knows? He seemed alright, but was very suspicious, obviously. I think there was something at the school that they had to protect, that's why there was a wall."

Marco said, "And you got in easily. So of course they'd be suspicious of you. It's just lucky your powers still worked in some other world." Ace nodded in agreement, taking a chug of his booze. He said that, while the other place was interesting, he'd much rather be home with his brothers.

"I mean, it was a new experience, but I wouldn't want to stay for an extended period of time. I don't know what would have happened… though learning more about how they had powers would have been interesting, since they weren't devil fruits. The guy, All Might, said that they developed them, meaning they did it on their own, not consuming something that gave them powers," Ace explained. He was interested in it all, wishing to learn more, but would definitely want his brothers with him there.

At dinner, the topic had faded, and they were discussing the next island, since they had been unable to get any resources or supplies on the previous. No food, nothing. And there was no witch, just a portal. They all wondered if anyone else had gone through it. If anyone else was in that world from their own.

Ace went to bed in his room after taking a shower in his personal bathroom. He always loved the perks of being a commander. After the whole Teach incident, Ace had had a bit of trouble trusting his division, but that had been over a year ago, and they'd since gained his full trust once again.

It was lucky Marco was there, looking for Thatch since one of his sous chefs had lit the stove on fire. He found Teach with a knife aimed right at Thatch, and tackled the traitor to the ground, snapping both arms and dragging him to the brig screaming. It was terrifying, how close they had been to losing Thatch and Teach gaining that damn fruit.

If things hadn't gone that way, Thatch would be dead and they would have a massive threat. But things didn't end up that way. It was lucky beyond belief, and had scarred almost everyone on the ship, knowing they almost lost Thatch.

Poor guy hadn't been left alone for three weeks, always surrounded by his brothers. People even waited outside his door at night, guarding him. The chef had been a good sport about it, even if it annoyed him a bit. Things were back to normal now. Back to adventuring, fighting marines and enemy pirates, gaining some new family members, though Ace was still the youngest. He was the "baby" of the family.

He went to bed and slept just fine. It was the next morning that problems arose. He woke up with a splitting headache, and barely was able to dress himself. He couldn't leave the dark room, and Izo had knocked on his door, asking if he was alright.

"I just have a headache," Ace explained through the door. "I'll be out in a bit," he promised, and went back to his bed, putting his hat over his eyes to try and block out any light coming from under the door or porthole.

He fell asleep, but when he woke up, it was to landing hard on his back again. He wasn't on his bed anymore. It was cold and windy, and he was on grass. He scrunched his eyes closed, afraid to take his hat off of his face. _He was in his room, he was in his room._ But when he took a deep breath and removed the hat from his face, he found he was where he was the day before.

Ace sat up, and the headache was gone. Well, he'd be back at the Moby soon enough. He closed his eyes, and fell back asleep, even though the grass was a bit itchy on his bare back, and expected to wake up in his bed.

But when he opened his eyes, it was to someone shouting, "That guy is back!" He lifted his hat from his face and sighed, sitting up. His stomach roared as he hadn't had breakfast, and he stood up, putting his hat back on. What was he supposed to do? Just wait? So he waited for at least a couple hours in that spot, waiting for anything to happen. Last time, he'd only been there for maybe an hour or a bit less.

He decided he'd try to reason with the adults, and was glad he'd put his shoes on and was dressed like he usually was, and wasn't in his pajamas. He saw the same group of kids from the day before, though they weren't in their costumes. Looked like exercise clothes. They had to be fifteen at most, almost seven years younger than Ace.

Ace walked slowly to the adult, a guy who looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. He had a bunch of wrappings around his neck. Was he the teacher like the other dude, All Might? Well, he only had one way to know, he had to ask. And ask for food and water.

"Hi, again," Ace said, the picture of tired. "So, I'm back again," he said in a dry voice. "Um, can I ask your name?" he asked the adult -teacher. He wondered what this guy's devil fr - _quirk -_ was.

"I'm Eraser Head. Your name was Ace, was it not?" he asked, and he sounded just as tired as he looked. Ace nodded, and introduced his full name. Portgas D. Ace, and said it was nice to meet him with a polite bow. "What are you doing here? All Might told us your story. We thought you only came from one entry."

Ace shrugged. "I don't know. I was asleep back home and then was back here. I thought I would leave again, but it's been hours since I arrived," he answered honestly. "I have no idea how or why I'm back. I'm sorry to disturb your class once again." His stomach roared. "Do you have any food?" he asked slowly, feeling like a kid, asking a stranger for food.

Eraser Head looked at him warily, but Ace showed no move that he would be a threat. Because he wouldn't as long as nobody attacked him. And he didn't sense this guy would hurt him unless he made a move first. And he wouldn't, he wasn't stupid. He wasn't back home, he didn't know how this world worked.

The kids were watching with interest, some of them looking grumpy. "All Might said to bring you to him if you showed up again. Didn't really expect you to, to be honest." Ace laughed awkwardly. "So, I have one question. You don't have a quirk, correct?" Ace nodded. "Will you use your power in a non-threatening way? I'd like to see something."

Ace frowned, and Eraser Head said he wouldn't try to hurt him. "Alright…" Ace said and lit his shoulders on fire. The guy's hair lifted as he glared at Ace. Ace fidgeted, confused as to what was happening. For some reason, the kids in the class gasped.

"I'll call All Might. You were telling the truth, thanks for being honest," he said dryly. Ace wondered what that was about, and doused his flames. One kid was staring at him hard, one with white and red hair and a scar over one eye. Ace was not really with good with kids he thought, so he wasn't sure what to do.

"Go wait over there," Eraser Head commanded. Ace scowled at the demand, but sighed and walked to a section of the grass, sitting down and yawning. The kids all stared at him, one of them especially looked enthralled and amazed by him. He had dark green hair and freckles, like Ace's only there were less of them.

All Might came over, and called Ace's name. Ace looked behind him and stood, dusting off his shorts and walking to the man. Really, his mouth looked like it would cramp all the time. "Surprised to see you back so soon," All Might said. "Follow me."

Ace asked how long it had been for him since he arrived. "You were here three days ago." Ace looked confused. It had been less than one day for him. Did time work differently here? He hoped everyone wasn't too worried about him. He would get back sooner or later. For now, he was hungry.

"Can I get some food?" he asked after his stomach grumbled again.

"Sure, on our way to the principal," All Might said easily, clearly not afraid of Ace, which he was glad of. He was doing his best to be friendly, since he didn't know the powers or personalities of any of these people. Ace asked what a principal is. All Might looked at him in surprise.

"My place doesn't have school. Whatever that is," Ace explained.

All Might asked, "Then how do you learn?" in curiosity.

Ace replied, "Your parents teach you, if you're lucky. My brother taught me to read and write and one of my other brothers taught me math. Do kids learn that stuff here?" All Might nodded. "Well that's convenient."

All Might nodded, but said nothing else as they approached the main building. It was so reflective, like glass. This world really was different than his own. The only thing that seemed similar were that these were humans and there was grass and trees. He was led to a galley of some sort, which All Might called the cafeteria. "Get everything you want."

Ace grinned and ran to the buffet, serving himself a massive amount of food before quickly consuming all of it at record pace. His fire burned calories faster than normal humans or others not made of fire.

"Thanks for the food," Ace said with a smile. All Might looked at him strangely, but also in amusement. Ace was glad it wasn't anger or disgust. "My fire burns calories quicker than normal people," he explained simply.

"Interesting. Is it alright if myself and my superiors ask you some questions?" All Might asked, leading Ace up some stairs to the next floor.

Ace nodded, saying it was to be expected. "I might not answer some things personally, but I'll cooperate as best as I can. I have no idea how this world works, so I won't blow it or disrespect someone who's helping me out. I do apologize for interrupting your classes, twice," he said politely.

He knew he would not say he was a criminal. That would stay hidden. He'd say he was a sailor, because that was true. Not the whole truth, but he had no doubt he'd be unwelcomed if he said he was a pirate, if pirates did exist here. He had no idea and wasn't going to bring it up.

They arrived at a door and All Might opened it, letting Ace inside before him. There were a handful of people, all wearing the costumes. They were so strange, but he didn't stare or comment on them. He was pointed to a chair and sat down in it.

There was a woman with a very revealing outfit, a guy with an uneasy mask on that covered his whole face, another guy with blonde hair sticking up and with some sort of contraption around his neck. He was the only one smiling (besides behind him) and a mouse person? Oh well it wasn't that weird. Chopper was a talking and transforming reindeer.

"This is Ace?"

"Yes. Ace, introduce yourself if you will. And please speak of your powers. We must be clear with one another on such things," All Might said from behind him.

Ace nodded, and introduced his full name. "I ate a fire logia devil fruit. It made my body fire and can control and create it as well. A logia is a devil fruit that turns your body into a substance. Such as sand, magma, ice, etc. Oh, and haki, but I don't use that regularly."

The woman and man with yellow hair had their eyebrows raised, while the masked guy asked what haki was. Ace was surprised that they didn't have haki here. He just assumed they did since people had powers. Well, their powers weren't from devil fruits.

"Will you explain haki, Portgas?"

Ace said, "Just call me Ace. Haki… how to explain it. Hmmm. Well, there are three types. Armament, observation and conqueror's haki. Armament is able to harden your body to weaken any physical attack," he said, and coated his arm in haki. "Observation is basically super senses. You can tell when people are around or how powerful they are if you're trained or not. And conqueror's haki is very rare. You can cause people to fall unconscious or tame wild animals."

The others looked surprised, and the woman asked if haki was common. "Yes, almost everyone in the New World uses it. You won't last there if you don't have haki." Suddenly, they all looked curious and sat down.

Midnight introduced herself, said she can make sleeping gas come from her body. Present Mic was the blonde guy with the crazy hair, and he could raise his voice high enough to make peoples' ears bleed. The last one besides the mouse-guy was Ectoplasm, who could make clones of himself.

"Yo, tell us more about your world," Present Mic said excitedly. They were all teachers. Ace asked if they would tell him about their world in return, and they agreed. The principal still hadn't spoken, the leader of the school as All Might had said.

Knowing these people didn't have haki made him feel better, but two of their powers might be able to harm Ace. Put him to sleep or make him be unable to move due to sound. Well, there were weirder devil fruits out there. Like the jacket jacket one. What a let down if you ate that one. He was glad he ate his fruit. It was so useful.

"What do you want to know?" Ace asked, knowing this would be a long conversation, but he would build trust like this, being honest. Until he went back home, he had to play nice with these people, since he had nowhere to go and no idea how this world works.

"What is the New World?" Midnight asked.

Ace said, "Well, it's the most dangerous part of the Grand Line. That's one of the seas of my world. Most of it is ocean, so ships travel from island to island. Only brave idiots go to the New World, I just happen to be one of them. That has the most devil fruit users in it. It has erratic and abnormal weather patterns and more sea kings than any other place besides the Calm Belt. Sea kings are sea monsters, basically.

"The New World is considered a graveyard since so many people end up dead there," Ace finished.

Ectoplasm asked if their government did anything to stop that. Ace couldn't help but scoff. "Our government doesn't care about the people. The marines kill civilians and support the Celestial Dragons. Tyrants who are allowed to murder and keep slaves without any sort of consequences. The government and marines do whatever they want. There's a prison by the government that used various types of torture methods on criminals. It's a mess," Ace explained, voice spiteful.

Apparently, this was not how this world's government works, as they all seemed horrified and shocked. Well, good for this world. "Will you tell me about your world?"

So, they explained their world, and Ace didn't understand most of what they were saying. It was enough to know people with quirks (natural devil fruits) could become licensed heroes. Sounded boring. To bow to the government to use your powers. Sure, it would be better for some devil fruit users to be regulated, but he couldn't exactly talk when his father could destroy the world if he so wished.

The principal finally introduced himself. "I'm Nezu, the principal and leader of this school. My quirk is being smarter than most humans." Ace nodded, and the others asked if he found it weird that animals could talk.

"Nah. Animals can eat devil fruits as well. My little brother travels with a talking reindeer, so it's not too unusual." His eyes fell, afraid he'd never see Luffy again. He wanted to go home. All Might noticed the change in his demeanor, and asked what was wrong.

"I worry about if and when I'll get back home. I was only there for a day before I came back here. They're probably worried about me. I don't want them to do something reckless," Ace said honestly.

"Don't worry too much, young Ace. What will happen, happens. If you can somehow get back on your own, then I'm sure you will!" All Might said with conviction. He was entertaining and seemed pretty charismatic. "How old are you?"

Ace replied that he was 22. "Is there any place I can stay until I go home or find out how to go home? I don't exactly have anywhere to stay or get food," he said awkwardly, worried that they'd turn him down, even if they seemed perfectly fine with him. But, he was still a stranger, one with powers, and they'd only been talking for about two hours, as both sides had gone into detail about their worlds.

Nezu spoke, who had been quiet the most of the time, watching Ace closely. He wondered what he was thinking the whole time, if he was so smart, what was he seeing? Hopefully he didn't know Ace was a wanted pirate. He would keep that information to himself. "I'll help out if I can. Clean, do errands, and if I can, I'll use my power to help out."

The teachers turned to Nezu, who finally spoke. "You may stay here for now. I don't see any issue with keeping you here. You have given no sign that you will hurt any of us, and I can tell that easily with anybody. Cleaning would help us out until we find something else for you to do."

Ace sighed and thanked him. "But, I would like you to stay away from our students, as we still know little about your character." Ace nodded, understanding that. He bowed in his seat, sincerely thanking them for showing kindness.

"You can stay in the back unused room of the infirmary for now. You can eat after the students do," Nezu said. Ace was so relieved he had food and shelter for now. Now all he had to worry about was when the hell he was getting back home. He bit his lip, and All Might clapped him on the back. It would have been hard and painful, but his hand went right through Ace.

They were all shocked. "I'm made of fire, blunt attacks can't harm me. Guns, swords, punches. My fire absorbs all of them," he explained.

Present Mic asked if he had any weaknesses. Ace would not share seastone or water. "Haki bypasses all devil fruit powers. Even the useless ones," he said. Then, the excited blonde asked to know more about devil fruits. Ace sighed, knowing it would be a long conversation. "You wanna hear about he stupid ones or better ones first?"

Midnight asked for the stupid ones. While he spoke, more people came in. "Let's start with the jacket jacket…"

After that, he was led to the infirmary and back room, where he'd be staying. It was boring and not very cozy, but it was a hospital bed, so he was just grateful they were using one to give him a place to sleep. They were being quite considerate.

* * *

**PS: If anyone notices anything strange about this chapter, as if it's missing parts, please tell me. The word count is different here than on ff.net. But I can't figure out what is different.**


	2. Marco, The Miracle Worker

####  **ShadowXll: Lol Endeavor would definitely lose if I made a fight between them. And omg that autocorrect made me laugh so hard. XD**

**Ferna52: The worst fruit in my opinion. So bad.**

#### Adamari2001: Thank you! Don't worry, the story is finished and edited. I won't be dropping it on my readers! All of my stories are finished before posting. 

**Violet_violence: Thank you!**

**SlvrRv: Lots of content about that later! Hope you stick around that long!**

* * *

All day, a dark cloud hung about him as it got later and later since he arrived. When would he go home? He missed Thatch and Marco. He missed his room and the food and the _sea._ They had told him that their land masses were large, not small islands. And that they did not use wooden boats, but metal ones or other methods of transportation.

Even if the flying ships would get someone someplace faster, sailing was the best! Being out on the open sea, free. He slapped his cheeks, not wanting to think about what he couldn't have at the moment.

He wanted to go home.

When he got up, he saw that there was a new outfit for him. Shorts and a shirt. He forgoed the shirt, though the shorts didn't match anything on him at all, and clashed terribly with his hat. He took it and held it close, hoping he'd see Luffy again. He gave Ace this hat as a going away present. And even if it looked terrible on him right now, Ace wasn't going to leave it anywhere.

He put his boots and armbands on. He didn't have his dagger or necklace. He was just glad he had his hat with him. When he left the room, he checked to make sure there were no students inside, since he wasn't allowed to be around them. When he found the coast clear, Recovery Girl greeted him.

"Morning, Ace," the old lady said. Ace said good morning back. "Breakfast should be open now, classes have started. After that, we'll have you shown around the building where you will be going by a teacher off duty. Now, get going. You know where the cafeteria is, don't you?" Ace nodded and hurried out of the room.

He couldn't do anything about passing students using the bathroom, and just hurried past them. He had so many stories to tell Thatch now. He clenched his fists and teeth at the stairs, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath before heading to the gall- _cafeteria._ He ate in silence, alone and moping, shoulders slumped and not eating too enthusiastically.

The food was good, but clearly wasn't made with the care Thatch did. It had been over 24 hours here, and still no sign of him returning. He finished his food and then laid his head down on the table with a groan, putting his hands over his head.

"Are you okay?" a young voice asked. A girl with short brown hair.

"I'm not supposed to be around students," Ace said, not looking up from the table, his voice muffled a bit.

"Oh, sorry. Well, I hope you feel better soon," she said nicely, and hurried away.

It wasn't much later that Midnight came over. Ace didn't know their teaching schedules, and didn't care much. He just wanted to be kept busy. He would rather be doing something other than cleaning, but there was nothing to do and he understood that he wasn't trusted to do anything else.

"C'mon, I'll show you where you'll be working today," she said nicely. Ace tried to hide his sadness, but she noticed. He wasn't good at hiding his feelings. Everyone teased him about that. "I'm sorry you can't see your family. Is it a big one?" Ace laughed.

"You could say that. We're family, but none of us are blood related. We just all stay on the same ship." She asked how many. "There are 16 commander, myself included, and we are the superiors of 100 people each. So it's a big family. I don't even know all of the names."

Midnight was shocked by the size. "So you're a leader on the ship?" Ace nodded. He was one of them, but there was a captain and then co-captain. He changed his wording, not saying a first mate. That might sound too pirate-ish. "What did you sail for?"

"Adventure. Staying on one island is a boring life. Who would want to do that?" Ace asked. Midnight smiled for some reason.

"That's sweet. So, your world is pretty harsh, right? So you must all be strong if you live in the New World." She had been the one to ask the most questions the day before. The most openly curious. Ace nodded, saying they had to be.

He added, "Many aren't very strong, but the others make up for it. The first division commander is one of the strongest people in the world. He can turn into a phoenix, and heal from any wound, even if it's made with haki. He also can't get sick and ages slower than normal people," he explained, smiling at the thought of Marco.

"So there are more devil fruit users on your ship?"

Ace shook his head. "Considering how many of us there are, there are only four devil fruit users including myself. Jozu can turn his body into diamond, and Pops can create earthquakes and seaquakes. Honestly, he could destroy the world if he wanted to," he explained, grinning at the thought of how strong his father is. He's such a badass. But he must be so worried. Though, it had been three days for these people and one day for him. Did time go differently in Ace's world?

He hoped time went slower there so he didn't miss out on too much when he got back. And he would get back. Eventually. Hopefully.

Midnight seemed alarmed. "He rarely uses it. He would never destroy the world, especially since his sons would all die. Plus, he doesn't kill people for fun or anything," Ace explained. "He's very compassionate, despite his size and power." Midnight asked about his size, asking if he was big, like All Might.

Ace shook his head. "People in my world are sized variously. Pops is one of the largest. He's 21 feet tall. Then there are the giants who are larger than anyone else. Around 64 feet, though they vary by a few yards." Midnight looked baffled as she showed him where cleaning supplies were, where trash bins were. "Are people not sized like that here?" Ace had never thought it was weird that people were sized differently back home. It was how it was.

She shook her head. "Unless they have a quirk that makes them stronger, then we're all sized inthe same range." Ace nodded, and then asked if he was allowed to burn the trash instead of take it to the dumpster. "If they are made of paper or cardboard, yes. Plastic of aluminum needs to be recycled, and that is downstairs."

Ace was handed a map, and thanked her. She started to walk away before he stopped her. "What do I do if a student approaches me? A girl did already today," Ace asked.

"Tell them they aren't allowed near you and they should be fine. If you can, ignore them. Though they are all curious and you can't blame them. Don't interact with them if possible." Ace nodded, and she wished him luck at cleaning. He sighed, but would repay them for food, shelter, and the information he was given.

He had forgotten to tell them about his narcolepsy, so he attracted attention from the teachers when he was found sleeping on the floor in a puddle of water from knocking over the bucket. It was a bad look, and he woke up when the person was asking angrily, what the hell he was doing.

He stood off and heated himself up to dry off. He bowed at the man, and explained that he had forgotten to tell anybody he had narcolepsy, and had sleep attacks sometimes. He was so grateful he wasn't in trouble, and that his medical condition existed in this world, too, so he was understanding.

The day was incredibly boring. He needed fresh air, but didn't want to break any rules. He was coming out of the bathroom when he started to feel sick and then was slammed down in his bed at home. He sat up, and screamed, "YES!"

"Come out already!" Izo shouted, and Ace ripped the door open and jumped him with a hug. He pushed Ace off, and asked what the hell was wrong with him. "Wh-What are you wearing? Those aren't your clothes."

Ace looked down to see he was still wearing the shorts he was given at the high school. He said he needed to talk to Pops. He ran down the hall and to breakfast, not surprised that time had gone different here. Ace was gone for over 24 hours. It had been minutes for Izo. He entered the galley and jumped on Pops' back. "I'm home!"

"Ace? What are you doing, son?" Whitebeard asked in confusion and then saw his shorts. Ace sat down at the table at once, and began explaining everything that had happened, how he'd been gone for over a day. Nobody believed him at first, since time hadn't changed like that, but he was wearing those shorts that he didn't own before.

Like the teachers at U.A., his brothers demanded to know all about that world. He talked to them for hours about everyone and everything. "I missed everyone so much. I was so scared I wouldn't come back. I'm angry a bit. It was a day of misery for me, but no one even knew I was gone," Ace said angrily.

Marco put his arm on Ace's shoulder. "At least you didn't miss much, right?" Ace grudgingly agreed to that. "Do you want to go back?" Marco asked curiously.

Ace responded immediately. "I want to be here. I'd rather stay here indefinitely. I learned all about their world, I don't need to see it again or really want to." He looked down sadly and asked, "What if it keeps happening? What if I get stuck there longer? I know it's not much time for you guys, but it is longer for me. A whole day for me was a few minutes for you guys. It's frustrating," he grumbled.

Pops sighed. "I'm sorry, son. I can imagine how frightening it is." Ace defiantly said it wasn't scary, making the captain and first mate chuckle. "We're going to be landing on an island tomorrow. It's lucky it is so close to the island that caused all of this trouble. It's a protected island, so we can have some time to relax."

The others grinned, and Ace said he hoped he would stay longer. Not just a day. "How is your experiment going, son?" Pops asked, turning to Marco. He had been experimenting with how far his fruit could go to help other people, and had been testing on seagulls for months.

"I'd like to start a human trial. Nobody here is missing a limb or anything, so I can't test on that," Marco replied. Then he grinned. "I can successfully cause a seagulls wing to grow back."

Haruta said, "You know, torturing animals is a sign of being a psychopath, right?" Marco shot a glare at him, saying it was necessary. Haruta said it was still scary. "Will it hurt humans? Can't you not mix blood types with others that aren't the same?"

Marco shrugged. "It's working for the birds. I'll find someone terminally ill and try on them. What?! They're going to die anyway, I might as well give them a chance!" Marco shot back at Thatch's look of horror.

Ace touched Marco's arm, giving him a smile. "I think it's really cool. I mean, it was scary when your arm got cut off, but it did regrow. And if it's working on seagulls, why not try it on someone who is on their deathbed?"

Marco smiled. "See, Ace gets it. You're all idiots. And I'm not torturing the birds, I sedate them first and then try. What's strange is that the bones, muscle and skin grow back, but the feathers don't. I really hope it works on humans."

Vista joked, "Are you going to be the savior of mankind?" Marco shot him an unimpressed look.

"I'm not a hero, I want to know if it's possible. If it is, then I can rest easy knowing I can help my brothers further. And it might work on Pops, who knows?" Marco asked, voice a bit more subdued at the end. The others frowned, but Whitebeard just chuckled.

The giant captain said, "I am growing old. You cannot reverse age, my sons." The deck grew quiet, sad. Pops was in good health for his age and occupation, but was still heavily medicated to treat old age symptoms. Marco was skilled and worked with the nurses, but Pops was right. You can't cure being old.

Ace stayed with his brothers all day, worried that he would disappear at any moment, and stuck with someone at all times. He didn't have any time to himself. He wanted someone to know if he was gone. It had hurt more than he expected that he was missing and scared, while his brothers didn't even know.

He didn't say anything about it, knowing there was nothing they could do about it, and he was glad they didn't worry over him too much. But he still wanted them to know. He didn't know what was going on or when it would stop, but he would never want to be forgotten.

After dinner, Pops came to find him and brought him to his bedroom. "How are you, Ace?" he asked. Ace looked confused before Pop gave him a look. Ace's lower lip wobbled and he wiped his eyes. Pops put a comforting hand on his back.

"I… I'm scared. I don't know anyone or anything there. I don't know when I'll come back, _if_ I come back. What if I become stranded there?" Ace asked fearfully. He choked on a sob. "I missed everyone so much. I can't say who I am there. They follow rules, their government is nothing like ours. Everyone at that school is a hero. I'm a wanted criminal. Who knows what they'd do to me if they found out?"

Pops hugged him. "If you become stranded for more than a week on our side, we will return to that damn island and come get you ourselves. We're family, Ace. We do anything for one another. Right?"

Ace sniffled and smiled. "Right."

But he had trouble sleeping that night. He did eventually fall asleep to the serene rocking of the ship, something he missed at U.A. Solid ground sucks ass. Who would want to just live in one place? He didn't understand people who just waited on their islands for something to happen instead of going out and searching for it themselves.

He did not teleport away, and woke up perfectly fine in his comfortable bed. He could almost think it had all been a dream. But he wasn't that creative, even in his sleep. When he woke up, he smiled, and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he went into his bathroom to take a quick shower and was dressed in his own clothes, armband on, dagger in place, necklace around his neck.

From now on, he'd be wearing everything in case he was sucked away again. He wasn't an optimist. He knew there was a big chance this was not over yet, as it didn't feel over. He couldn't explain it, but it felt like a ticking clock for the next time he disappeared into the Hero world.

But, he had a feeling it wouldn't be anytime soon. At least, not in the imminent future. While he showered and then ate breakfast, he felt sad for the heroes. They couldn't use their powers whenever they wanted. They had to be allowed to fight bad guys. What's with that? They were bad guys, right? Nobody here had to be licensed to fight against enemies.

He would never be a hero and be so restricted. But then would he be a villain? Well, it didn't matter much. He didn't belong to that world, why would he follow their customs? Besides, he was a criminal in this world. Even if he decided to help "for the greater good", he'd still be a criminal deep down, whether he enjoyed murder or not.

Compared to the Hero world, things here were much more… messy and dangerous. Killing was fine as long as it was not anyone the marines saw as important. They could get into battles on the sea without interference. They could use their powers however they wished. This world was much more free, and he definitely preferred it.

Now, he didn't think of himself or his crew as bad guys, bad pirates. They cared for their own and innocent people. It was only marines and enemy pirates that they offed and sometimes took pleasure in. And they looted like crazy. In the Hero world, they'd be arrested for stealing. It really was so different, and Ace definitely liked this world more.

Though the technology of the Hero world was incredible, he still liked his home more. After breakfast, he went outside right as Namur announced that they were nearing the island. Marco came out, and had an excited smile on. "I hope it works," Marco said quietly, but loud enough for Ace to hear beside him.

"Me, too. I think that would be incredible," the youngest said with a grin. Marco ruffled his hair affectionately.

"C'mon, let's land and find out if I can work miracles."

When they landed on the island, their protected island, Pops and the commanders went to visit the leader of the largest village on the island. Most of their protected islands were not ruled by kings or queens. Islands with those types of ruling didn't like having a boss of sorts. And Pops was the boss, able to tell them how to react to certain things. He was a good boss, though. Unlike Big Mom or Kaido.

Marco ran off to the hospital. Ace wanted to follow so badly, wanting to see it, help Marco if it didn't work and he was crushed with disappointment. He'd been wanting to heal people better for decades, but his flames had only ever healed superficial wounds. After getting his arm chopped off by a haki blade, and when it reformed, he started to think more outside the box.

That was when he began experimenting with blood. And it had worked on birds so far. Ace hoped for both their sake and Marco's that it worked. Even if it worked only a little, it would be progress and Marco would be enthusiastic about his dream goal.

Everyone knew his long term goal for this was to make Pops live longer and more healthy. It was his dream, and they did their best to keep him in the real world. Pops was aging. Marco aged, so there was no way to make the older captain immortal, not that Pops would even want that.

But, they let Marco dream within the margin of reality. Ace was distracted, and Izo finally sighed and told him to leave, since he was being useless. "Thanks, Izo!" Ace said, and ran off towards the hospital. Izo may sound mean, but he always had the best intentions. He knew Ace wanted to see Marco work, so he gave him permission to leave.

He found Marco in the ICU easily since his presence was so much stronger than others in the hospital. He was quiet in there, and found Marco talking to a gaunt woman, who clearly was dying. He was sitting on the chair next to her bed, and Ace gave them some privacy.

He did hear some of the conversation. She didn't want to suffer anymore, and was ready for death as she had a failing liver. But she had a son she needed to take care of. So, she agreed to be Marco's first human trial. His guinea pig. He wouldn't treat her like he had the birds.

"Ace, I want you to keep quiet and don't distract me, okay?" Marco asked in a serious voice, getting into doctor mode. Ace nodded, and sat on a chair just outside of the room the woman was being wheeled into for surgery. He watched through the doorway as Marco put a seastone ring on, making him sluggish but solid, as he took a great amount of blood from himself and put it into an IV bag.

He had trouble pulling the ring off after the blood was collected, but was able to yank it off, going back to looking healthy and tan instead of pale. Every devil fruit user turns pale and looks ill with seastone on. It was just what it was.

Marco put heart monitors on the woman and an IV of sedative in one arm and his blood in the other. He waited with his hands clasped together, looking truly worried as the blood dwindled away. He had the seastone ring inside of the bag, disinfected and harmless to a regular person, to keep his blood as blood and not turn into flames.

After the IV drip was finished, he took out both tubes and rolled the unconscious woman to the x-ray room. Ace watched through the little window, wanting to see Marco's reaction. But his back was to him. His shoulders slumped, and Ace sighed and turned away.

But he was wrong, and Marco opened the door, bright eyes with a huge grin. "I-It worked. I fixed her liver, and she had arthritis before, but the signs of it are gone. I actually did it!" he shouted, more excited than Ace had ever seen him. He grinned and congratulated him.

They almost forgot about the woman before she made a questioning noise as she woke. It didn't last long since only a small dose of sedative had been given, as the process wasn't painful or long. She looked confused, and then sat up. She was still underweight, but clearly felt better.

"How do you feel, Miss Able?" Marco asked from her bedside as he rolled her back to the ICU, where her stuff was.

"I feel great. What… am I cured?" she asked, voice hopeful but eyes desperate. Marco smiled and nodded. She started crying hysterically, and Marco asked her to quiet down for the other patients.

Marco, though he'd done an amazing thing, was no saint. He was not going to cure and fix everybody in the hospital. He was a pirate, even if this was a protected island. He and Ace helped check Miss Able out of the hospital, staff absolutely bewildered, but not told what had happened. Marco had asked the woman to not spread what happened around too much.

"I promise, I won't. Thank you, so, so much, Marco-san. You've given me a second chance in life," she said, bowing to him before she slowly walked away, growing more confident as she made more steps, before she was quickly walking towards her home.

"I'm going to check up on her periodically while we're here, just to make sure it lasts," Marco explained, and the two of them hurried off to tell Pops and the others that it was a resounding success. They both hoped it lasted, and they didn't give that poor woman false-hope.

But, six days later, she was waving goodbye to them with her son in her arms as the ship set off. Marco had given her a baby den den connected to the one in the infirmary and was going to call her to make check ups to see how she was faring. Honestly, Ace had never seen someone so happy. Even Luffy didn't look how this woman did. Even though Ace was a pirate, it was nice to see that change. She had been on her deathbed and now she looked as happy as one can be.

It was a great island stop, and Ace was glad he got to stay at least for the whole time.

It was three days later that a pirate crew attacked them, and they were more than happy to fight. Marco's check ups had gone perfectly. The woman seemed completely healed, and was overjoyed that she was not only not dying, but could walk and move without her joints hurting. So, Marco was ready to heal his brothers in case any got hurt.

This may have been bad, as the pirates were reckless with their attacks, feeling emboldened that, no matter what injury they sustained, Marco would save them. That was the mentality that got Ace stabbed with a haki covered sword. He had messed up, gone for the obvious attack.

He was surprised but then kicked the guy in the neck so hard it broke. He tossed the body onto the other ship and lit it on fire in anger. "Ugh," he groaned, hand over the long and bleeding gash. Well, he needed to get stitches at least. It wasn't too deep, but deep enough to require stitches.

But, Ace healed quickly and the stitches would be gone before long. Then, he was no longer on the Moby and surrounded by the ocean, but on his back on a grassy field. "Fucking hell!" he shouted angrily, finding he was back in the Hero world, bleeding in the middle of a field. There was no class in session then, nobody to see him in this condition, blood coming from him in thick streams.


	3. Proving Himself

**Trying_To_Be_Happy: Thank you!**

#### Adamari2001: I update every 7/8 days. Usually 7 but sometimes I get off by a day. And since this follows loosely on the BNHA timeline, USJ happens, but not yet. And the rest you'll have to wait for!

**Ferna52: *shrug emoji* You'll just have to wait.**

**Violet_violence: It would def be awesome if he is fixed, but this story also has some intense depression. We'll just have to see!**

* * *

**Story picks up immediately after the last chapter. Recap: Ace transported back to BNHA world with a stab wound from a pirate attack. Enjoy~**

* * *

He had had worse than this injury, to be honest. He wasn't afraid, just irritated at the terrible timing. He walked to the main building, knowing where the infirmary was just fine. Maybe Recovery Girl could give him stitches. He didn't know how long he'd been gone from here, since he still wasn't sure the time difference between both worlds. He'd been home for ten days.

Ace hoped he wouldn't be here for ten days as punishment. If this was some divine punishment from a god he didn't believe in. But damn, what an unlucky time. He didn't dwell on it, walking through the campus. He didn't even care that he walked in on a full cafeteria, leaving a trail of blood behind him.

Students screamed, and he did his best to ignore them. "Ace-san, what happened?!" the freckled kid asked frantically. He gave him a smile, not wanting everyone to freak out and cause a real scene. Well, he was causing a scene all by himself.

"I've had worse, don't worry," Ace assured him.

"Worse than this?!" another girl asked.

Ace nodded. "I come from a world a lot more dangerous than this one. Can someone lead me to the infirmary? I forgot. Blood loss and all," he laughed. A couple students ran in front of him, leading him to the infirmary as quickly as he could follow.

He was asked constant questions from Freckles. "I'm fine, really. Just need some stitches. Yeah, I am made of fire, but someone used a weapon that can hurt me when I was in a battle." He asked what kind of battle. "A battle against enemies. I think we won, but I was here before I could see the end."

Freckles stopped asking him questions and following when a taller guy with glasses let him in. Pipe Legs, since he knew nobody's name, he was just making ones up from their appearances. Read and White Head had been silent, and looked at him strangely. Ace was glad he didn't show any weakness in front of anyone.

It did hurt and he was getting foggy, but he was telling the truth when he said he'd been through worse. "Ace!" Recovery Girl shouted. "Where have you been, what happened to you?!" She was frantic.

"I'm fine. I got in a battle with enemies. I was sloppy and got nicked," Ace explained.

"Nicked?! This is a deep cut!" Ace wished they'd stop freaking out, but he guessed he could understand their concern. This world wasn't full of ruffians. At least, not ones completely unchecked and allowed to be criminals. This one had a government that upheld the law successfully.

So a stabbing like this might not be so common. He had expected stitches, but she kissed his abs (which was weird and made him a bit uncomfortable) but it healed over quickly. She looked at him in shock. Had she not known she could do that or something? "Thanks," he said. She still looked at him in confusion. "Um, what's wrong?"

"I only boosted your healing factor. You weren't supposed to heal that quickly," she said, collecting herself and giving him a wipe to clean the blood up. "And you need a blood bag."

Ace said, "I've always been a fast healer. I had to be, my home had no medical equipment or first aid. We lived in the jungle," he added when she looked horrified. He stood up and she yelled at him to sit back down. "I'm fine."

"You need to have your blood replenished!" Ace insisted that he was fine and she gave him a furious look, so he gulped and sat back down. He didn't tell her she'd have no success in giving him blood. There was no haki here, and he wasn't going to say a thing about seastone.

When he told her his blood type, she got a bag. "It's not gonna wor-"

"Be quiet, Ace, and let me treat you," Recovery Girl commanded. Ace sighed and shrugged. Nurses were scary in any world, it seemed. When he went to put the IV drip in, the needle went right through his skin with a small bit of flames licking at the base of the needle.

"I told you," he said slowly. "I just have to heal on my own. You don't have any of the equipment to make my body solid to inject something." Recovery Girl scowled and went to dispose of the needle and put the blood bag away. "I'm sorry, it's how my and many others' powers work."

All Might walked in at that, and saw Ace had a thin, pinkish line with some smeared blood as Ace wiped it away with the rag. "What happened, young Ace?" he asked. "Some of my students told me you were bleeding profusely."

Ace wiped the last of it off with a rag and Recovery Girl snatched it out of his hands angrily. It wasn't Ace's fault his power worked like that… "My crew got in a fight, I was sloppy and got nicked. I'll be fine, though," he assured.

The nurse finally turned to Ace and demanded why he never had medical attention at his home. It was a strange question, as it didn't exactly matter now, but he didn't want to piss her off even more. "I lived with bandits in the jungle until I was 17. We didn't exactly have the money or means of getting medical attention. I'm alive, aren't I?"

"Because you're lucky! Why would you not have first aid!?"

Ace frowned. "I'm not from your world. Mine is different, rougher. I've had worse wounds than that, it's not a big deal. Besides, it made me stronger as a kid. Me and my brother managed alright," he said, growing irritated. She looked upset, still. "There's nothing you can do about my childhood or my world. My ship's doctor is great at his job. He would have easily healed me, but I came at a very bad time."

All Might looked a bit confused at the scene of Ace and the nurse arguing, even though Ace was trying to be calm. "You got stabbed? How did that happen?"

Ace resisted an annoyed sigh. "Enemies attacked our ship. I was sloppy and got cut. But I'm fine now. I hope your kids aren't too freaked out." He didn't want to cause trouble. All Might said he just made them more intent on getting to know him. Ace didn't know what to say, so he changed the subject. "How long have I been gone?"

All Might answered, "We haven't seen you since yesterday." Ace frowned.

"It's weird. In my world, I was gone for ten days. But, the time I was here last time was literally two minutes at my world. They didn't even know I was gone. Hopefully Marco isn't too worried," Ace mumbled, thinking of his own problems. All Might wondered who Marco was. Ace remembered mentioning him briefly before, but not in much detail.

"He's the first division commander and ate the phoenix fruit. He just learned how to make others regrow limbs and failed organs," Ace said proudly. All Might shared a weird look with Recovery Girl, but it passed.

Ace didn't look forward to cleaning again, and All Might told him Nezu wished to speak with him "No! I don't care if you say you heal fast, you are not leaving this infirmary until I say so! This is _our_ world and I am the boss in this situation," Recovery Girl said sternly. Ace grew angry with her wording. What, was he not allowed to do anything he wanted here?

He wasn't part of this world, why did he have to follow their rules? All Might watched him closely before Ace sighed and calmed down, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Fine," he said irritably. He had to behave here. They were sheltering and feeding him. He had to put his pride away, and just who he was, to maintain his feeble position. He was a free soul, but for now he had to cooperate. This was the nicest place he could be at. He had no idea how to act outside the school grounds. And he couldn't exactly get a job only to disappear for days. Not that he wanted a job other than being a pirate.

Instead of waiting for Ace to come to him, Nezu went to the infirmary. Ace hoped he wasn't in trouble, he didn't need that. He was already hiding his irritation about Recovery Girl's attitude. Ace didn't like her words or tone of voice. And he wasn't happy with her pretty much insulting his world and childhood.

Sure, they weren't the same as the kid's here, who have indoor plumbing and access to doctors, but it was still his life that she seemed to be spitting on. It left a bad taste in his mouth. "Ace, I want you to know that if you try to hurt anyone, you will be behind bars. That being said, I do not think you will hurt anyone. I would like to give you a more distracting job than cleaning. I noticed your demeanor last time you were here." Ace was red in the face, but not from anger. Embarrassment that someone saw how upset and emotional he'd been. Well, someone he hadn't spoken to about it.

"I don't mean to embarrass you, Ace, but I do want nobody here to be miserable, whether you be a student or a guest. May I test you and see if you are strong enough to help us out in other ways?"

"Other ways?"

"Being a guard at the entrance and school grounds. Extra support is always welcome." Ace smiled, and nodded, more than happy to do something other than cleaning. Recovery Girl had calmed down, and looked sad.

She suddenly said, "I am sorry, Ace. I did not mean to insult your life or world. I just have trouble thinking of any child who was unable to see any medical practitioners until you were a young adult."

"Oh? Did you get in an argument?" Nezu asked curiously.

"Yes, and it is over," she said, shutting Nezu down, who seemed perfectly fine with that. Ace didn't leave, even if he felt fine. He asked who he was fighting, or what he was doing to show he was capable of basic skills like guarding a door.

"Eraser Head is not an option, as you are not affected by his power. I'd like to test you against All Might, if he is willing?" Nezu asked. Ace hid an excited grin, wanting to fight the guy who was apparently the strongest hero. He was sure he wouldn't defeat him, but it would be fun to try. All Might agreed easily, giving Ace a challenging look. With the smile, still.

Ace asked, "Can I go all out?"

"I'm sure All Might would be offended if you didn't. The fight will be later, after classes are over and the students are no longer on campus. You may fight in the arena. You don't seem like you'd do anything but destroy the place if you fought in a different location."

Ace thought he was talking to him, while All Might thought it was being directed to him. Neither said a thing. Ace was hungry, but more excited over the fight tonight. He wondered how strong he was compared to the strongest in his own world. He would have quite the story to tell his brothers.

At least they wouldn't worry too long in their time. Everyone seemed to not have to wait but Ace himself. It irritated him a bit. But he enjoyed his ten days with his brothers back on the sea, being with Marco when he finally achieved his goal had been wonderful. He would have been so upset if he had missed that.

After half an hour after the pro-hero and principal left, Recovery Girl said she thought Ace looked good enough to leave. "Thanks," he said with a smile. Their beef was over it seemed. She apologized, he forgave. Honestly, for someone who could have quite the temper and pride issue, he thought he was doing a fantastic job of cooperating.

He wasn't told to stay away from the students, and he felt that Nezu was smart enough to tell him if he had to, and since he didn't, it didn't really matter. And he didn't need to clean! So, he went outside and laid on his back in the grass, looking up at the sky that was identical to his world. When the weather and ocean were cooperating with them. He fell asleep and only woke when he felt someone's presence come over. It was a kid, and he sat up.

Jeez, this one looked like an asshole. "Shouldn't you be cleaning?"

"No. I'm getting ready for tonight. You won't see me cleaning anymore. Shouldn't you be going home? It's after school hours isn't it?" Ace asked, staring at the brat with raised brows.

"What's tonight?" he asked, snapping even though Ace had done literally nothing to piss him off. "And why'd you come around bleeding? You weak?" Ace wondered why the kid was trying to provoke him.

He calmly said, "It's not your business, either of those questions. Think what you want of me, I don't care. Did you only come over here to interrupt my nap?" he asked, being infuriatingly calm. He didn't like this little shit, but he was 15 and Ace was almost 22. He was the adult in this situation, was no longer a bratty teen who thought he could rule the seas.

The kid just glared at him before storming away. Ace shrugged and laid back down. He didn't get to sleep or even relax before another kid had come over. It was Freckles. He sighed and sat up. "What is it?" he asked, trying not to sound mean since this one seemed like a nervous one. Seemed self-conscious. Ace could tell easily.

"Can I ask you some questions?" he asked excitedly. Ace asked why. "Well, I have so much information about everyone's quirks, but I want to know about your power, too. What's a devil fruit?"

Ace contemplated telling him, but decided against it. He didn't trust everyone in this world. He didn't trust it to be safe for him to give out information. He knew the teachers and staff would keep their lips sealed, but this was just a kid. "I'm sorry, I don't want to give out that information. Nothing personal. Just new to this world and don't know who to trust," he said nicely. Age had really changed him. And the situation.

If that other kid was a bit older and they were in their world, Ace would have kicked his ass. "Oh. Okay, sorry I asked."

Ace smiled and said, "I like your freckles." Freckles looked confused before Ace pointed to his own. "My brothers tease me about them all the time." Freckles asked if it made him mad. "Nah, I know they're joking. I can just insult them back if I want. We have a strange family dynamic."

"Oh. That's kind of weird. My name is Midoriya Izuku," Izuku replied. Ace reached out his hand.

"Ace. Nice to meet you, Izuku. What?" he asked when Izuku looked surprised. Then he remembered being addressed by his last name first. "Sorry, in my world we call each other by our first names. So, nice to meet you, Midoriya." Midoriya nodded and hurried away. Ace stood up and dusted his shorts off before heading inside to find out when exactly and where exactly he had to go.

He took a sandwich from the counter and stuffed it in his mouth. He was hungry, but could wait. He had rested enough, he'd just be hungry after the fight, however that turned out. He didn't think All Might would kill him, but wouldn't be surprised if he ended up with some nasty bruises. Well, he didn't have haki, so who knows how this would go?

Ace didn't need to go far before he heard, "Young Ace! This way." He was wearing the costume again, when he had been wearing a suit earlier. Ace put his hat back on since it had been resting against his back. They came upon a large arena, and he saw that it had bleachers and everything. Like someone giving a speech on a stage.

"We're fighting… here? What if I destroy everything?" Ace wondered. While he didn't want to destroy anything, it wasn't like this place had personal value to him. If it was decimated, well they'd have to rebuild it and that was that. But he also didn't want to cause trouble when these people were helping him, the only help he'd get for now until he went back home.

"There's a field, don't worry. It won't hurt the stands," All Might said happily. He dropped down and landed on the ground with a thud, Ace dropping down next to him and landing much lighter. Oh, he was looking forward to this. Ace asked if there was an audience, and right on cue Present Mic's voice was there. Ace winced in irritation with how loud he was.

Ace asked, "Is he gonna scream the whole fight?"

All Might nodded. "You're not going through years of testing and training, we have to see how well you do here and make it as difficult for you as possible against one opponent." Ace wanted to scoff, since he fought off multiple people at once. Sometimes it was more fun to fight more people than one. "What's that face, young Ace?"

The pirate looked surprised he'd gotten caught. "I just feel kind of insulted? I'm a big name back home, and this is so basic. Just fighting one person." All Might was surprised, and laughed.

"I like your confidence, young Ace. Well, prove yourself as a big name against a big name," he said, grinning brightly, like he actually meant it and his face wasn't frozen or so stiff he couldn't _not_ smile. "Go all out." Ace nodded.

He felt a couple presences but they were far from where he was standing. Probably watching the fight. Ace hoped he wouldn't embarrass himself, but felt he'd do just fine, even if he didn't beat All Might. But, oh man, would it be satisfying if he did.

"Yo! Three, two, one, fight!" Present Mic shouted, and there was obnoxious music playing that Ace tuned out, focusing on haki instead of sound since that wasn't going to help. His face was no longer lax, and he looked feral. All Might attacked first, coming at Ace with great speed, but he sensed him, and Ace easily stepped to the side before letting loose a burst of fire, shooting after All Might.

The pro-hero ducked and Ace flipped upside down, how Marco taught him, and kicked a haki covered shin down on All Might's shoulder. He was grabbed by the leg and thrown off, but he turned into flames to slow his fall and landed gracefully.

He let off his fire gun, keeping All Might at a distance, then releasing his firefly lights as a distraction for and then leapt over the mass of light and let loose a fire pillar blow him at All Might, who dodged. Ace didn't name any of his attacks. There was no point at the moment. It was weird not naming them, but he just didn't this time. The hero/teacher shot at Ace again, and punched him in the chest, his fist going right through him. Ace took his hand and slammed it down on All Might's neck, making him stumble before Ace shot fire lances at him.

He was grabbed again, which surprised Ace, and slammed into the ground. The impact was uncomfortable but he used the advantage of being below him and shot a fire pillar upwards, engulfing him. But, Ace knew he wasn't burnt from that too badly

The fight was too fast that Ace was pretty sure no one else could keep up. He was tired and would need to recharge for a few seconds, which he spent evading all of All Might's attacks until he attacked again, forming haki around his fist, only for it to get hit, and he felt his knuckle snap.

It had happened before. Right before covering an area with haki, it would become solid and someone got lucky and hit just before that. It had broken Ace's finger, which everyone laughed at him about. He wished his family could see this fight. He ignored the broken knuckle but was kicked in the chest again. It went through him, now no longer made of haki.

Ace brought his arm up and used his signature firefist, lighting up the area in flames, engulfing both of them. Ace moved through the flames and hit All Might in the chest with his fist before jumping back away through the flames. All Might punched the air and it sent a blast at Ace that slammed him into the barrier protecting the seats and the rest of the school. He grunted, but All Might now knew that would work, and used it against Ace repeatedly.

He was able to bypass it if he turned into flames, and decided the fight had gone on long enough and he thought he'd proven himself. All Might was panting, but so was Ace. This was awesome! He brought both arms up and formed a flame emperor that grew larger in his hands until it was consuming the night sky.

"Enough! You'll break the barrier!" Present Mic shouted. Ace looked up to see there was a barrier above them, too, and his massive fireball looking like a mini sun was pressing up against it. Ace relaxed his arms and let the ball of fire fizzle away.

Ace knew he had bruises on his chest, and couldn't see All Mights, though he was panting heavily. Ace wiped the sweat from his forehead. "Good fight!" Ace said, laughing, high off of the battle. It wasn't like newby pirates who only attacked with swords or guns. He had multiple moves and learned as he fought, not like marine and pirate fodder.

"Same to you, young Ace! I've never seen someone with so much control over flames! Nobody tell Endeavor I said that!" All Might shouted. "It's hard to believe you are only 22. You'd think you've been through intense training for decades." Ace grinned and rubbed the back of his head.

"Well, my crew is really strong and they've helped me out. Plus I've done a lot of battling even before I set sail," he explained, expertly evading the word "pirate". "I also trained a lot as a kid. Had to be strong to live in the jungle with all of the giant animals and thugs." His stomach roared, and All Might's did as well.

The barrier was down and showed that the ground was scorched and ashy, the walls having a few dents from Ace slamming into them with All Might's projectile attack. When they walked up the stairs and out of the arena, both of them were covered in soot and tired. All Might winced at some burns and a painful spot on his shoulder that Ace had kicked.

Those who were watching were in shock, looking at Ace in disbelief. Good, he hadn't disappointed. Nezu was there, and Ace saw a cup of tea shattered on the floor. He regained his composure quickly.

"Well, that was quite the fight. I have to say I wasn't expecting you to be so good. It's odd to see someone so young with a quirk that powerful."

Ace corrected him. "Not a quirk, a devil fruit. I wasn't born with the power, I ate the fruit when I was 17," Ace explained. This seemed to shock them even more. Present Mic screamed, "You learned all that in five years?!" Ace nodded. "That's not fair, man. We have to work on our powers for decades to get so many attacks!"

Ace didn't really know what to say. Didn't know if they were upset or just impressed. So he decided they were upset. "Well, maybe devil fruits are learned faster than quirks? I don't know. I know my brother took forever to learn how to control his, so it could be different for each fruit user. But then again, he was made of rubber and not fire." He cleared his throat. "Anyways, can I not be a cleaning guy anymore and just guard the entrance or something more interesting?"

Nezu nodded. Present Mic frowned. "You should be a hero, man." Ace almost scoffed. Someone was asking him, a wanted pirate, to be a hero?

"I don't think I'm the hero type, and I don't belong here. I'm just stuck here until things go back to normal and I return home for good," Ace explained. All Might asked why he thought he wasn't the hero type. "Sounds kinda boring. I'd rather go on adventures with my crew instead of going around saving people I don't know or care about."

They didn't seem upset, they seemed to understand, which he was glad of. "Well, I do save my family if they need it. And our protected islands' citizens. But that's it. Can I get some food?" They nodded and he and All Might rushed to the cafeteria and consumed whatever was left and raided the fridge and cupboards.

"That was quite the fight, young Ace. I enjoyed it! We must not let this get out or Endeavor will be furious," All Might said, sounding a bit worried. Ace swallowed a huge mouthful of rice and asked who that was. "He's the number two hero, and controls fire. But he isn't made of fire like you are. He can form and control it."

Ace nodded. "So, he'd be upset there's another fire guy around who can do shit he can't?" he summed up, chugging a fountain drink.

"That is one way to say it," All Might said, sounding amused. "Now, why don't you get some sleep? You'll be guarding the entrance from the beginning of the school day to the end. You will have two breaks."

Ace nodded, saying he appreciated the breaks. "Am I still sleeping in the infirmary?" he asked, finishing the last of the drink. All Might said that was correct, and to get healed up before he went to bed. "Thanks, the fight was fun," Ace said sincerely. When he walked back to the infirmary, he saw Midnight there, looking at him in surprise, and Ace assumed she'd seen the fight. "Goodnight, Midnight," Ace said as he passed her. She returned the sentiment.

The hero looked over at him and said, "Wow, I thought you'd be an absolute mess!" Ace chuckled, and said he thought he did pretty well considering. "Well, I assume you'll be guarding the gate tomorrow. Much more satisfying than cleaning in my opinion, though much doesn't happen. Press sometimes wants to come see, but you just make them stay back." Sounded easy enough.

She fixed him up in places that needed it and put cream and bandages over the bruises that would heal easily. He changed into pants she gave him for patients, and went to bed. He kept his boots on and hat on his chest in case he was sent back home during the night. But he wasn't, and woke up to Recovery Girl telling him to go get breakfast while he could. School started in an hour and a half.

Ace nodded, changing into his shorts that had been washed without him knowing and then went to the cafeteria. He already knew the path from the entrance to the cafeteria to the bathroom and infirmary. He took some food from the cooks, and found staff were eating there as well. He sat at a table away from them, not knowing where to go, who would want to sit next to him.

But Present Mic came over with his own food and sat across from the fire logia. "That fight was crazy! I thought you were gonna stretch the barrier! Shows we need to strengthen it, I guess," he said excitedly.

"Thanks. I don't want to brag but my Pops is a tougher fight than All Might was. He almost killed me on accident the first time we fought!" Ace said with a laugh. Present Mic looked confused with this, and Ace said they didn't meet on friendly terms at first. "But now he's my captain and family. He is already monstrously strong, but has a devil fruit that could destroy the world. I do think All Might would definitely be a challenge for him just based on his smaller size."

Ace was happy to talk about his Pop, brag about his strength. "Dang, that's crazy. Your world sounds real rough."

He nodded, and replied, "That's one way to put it. The New World is the most dangerous place in the world. Well, in my world. But it's fun, keeps us on our toes, y'know? I wish I could go back and just stay there permanently."

Present Mic pointed out that time worked differently there. "Doesn't mean I like it. I still have to wait to see them. They don't. I mean, I'm glad I'm not missing much, but it doesn't mean I don't miss them." The loud hero nodded, saying he understood that sentiment. Ace finished his food and said he should be going.

He put his hat back on and stood up to walk to the entrance, being told where it was and following their direction. He got comfortable on the wall adjacent to the gate and waited. It didn't take long before the first student arrived.

Many looked at him curiously, as he was crouching on the wall like he did the railing back home. All of the kids were wearing the same boring outfit, they had no way to distinguish themselves from one another like this. Well, except for the memorable looking ones. Freckles waved at him and Ace nodded back.

The grumpy brat glared at him and Ace sighed. He hoped he wasn't like this with Luffy. He was 15 by then, more mature but also young. Man, Lu had to deal with so much crap. But then again, so did Ace. It was mutually a challenge.

The one with white and red hair stared at him again, almost calculatingly. Ace wondered why, but didn't dwell on it much. The day was boring, but better than cleaning. Ace's haki extended far enough to warn him before anyone would come in sight.

Nothing happened, and the school day ended. He wasn't on the wall by then, but had already taken two naps on his breaks. He'd seen a few while getting food, but they mostly stared and said nothing. He was so glad he was as strong as he was. With haki and everything. He couldn't help his ego inflate to the max after the fight when they were talking about him being better than some pro-heros, even if they avoided saying it outright.

Well, he wasn't going to be or wanted to be a hero. He was a criminal, it was laughable that he was now working for heroes, who go against crime. But Ace hadn't committed any crime here, so they had no reason to dislike them. He had no reason to commit crimes, steal or attack anybody.


	4. Swapping Roles

**Violet_violence: I wrote this a couple months ago so I can't remember, but I think it does and the people are horrified about it. Ace talks a lot about how much more dangerous OP world is. Bashing his world, lol.**

**Adamari2001: Thank you!**

**Trying_To_Be_Happy: A lot of swapping between worlds in this one.**

**Carimes_treehouse: I'm glad you like it, lol.**

* * *

When it was time for the kids to go home, a couple came up to him, Freckles, Angry Brat and Half-and-Half. "All Might said you battled him," Freckles said. Ace knew his name, but Freckles was better than Midoriya. At least, to him.

"Yeah. To see if I was good enough to guard the gate. Cleaning was boring as shit," Ace replied honestly.

"Did he kick your ass?" Angry Brat asked, voice harsh and snappy. He reminded Ace of himself as a kid, not this old, when he was 9 or 10 years old. But this brat was five years older, he should be more mature. Right? He didn't know, really.

Ace shrugged and said, "We both came away with some bruises, but nothing too bad. Recovery Girl fixed us up pretty quickly."

"What a liar."

"Believe what you want, it doesn't impact me at all," Ace said simply. The brat stomped away before Freckles happily said he'd see him the next day. He seemed so innocent and meek. Ace wondered what his quirk was. What any of their quirks were. Half and half was still there. Ace looked at him expectantly.

"How long have you had your power?" he asked. His voice was flat and cold, but Ace didn't hear any disrespect. Ace replied he'd eaten his fruit five years ago. This kid was surprised as well at that. "And you can control and are made of fire at the same time?"

Ace nodded. "It's pretty overpowered, but not the most out there in my world. You're only as strong as you train yourself. If I was weak and undetermined, I'd probably only be able to light a candle."

"My name is Todoroki Shota. I control flames too. Fire and ice," he said, the second kid to introduce themselves to him. Ace gave his own name and shook his hand. "Well, don't be surprised if a big guy with flames around him comes and throws a fit." Ace nodded, thanking him for the warning.

Thatch would be so jealous Ace was interacting with kids, even if they weren't little. Thatch always wanted kids to join. They always teased him about being a pirate but wanting little ones. "Well I don't want to make one! I want us to adopt one! C'mon, Teach came when he was 12. I know we don't want to talk about him, but it proved Pops accepts kids, too!" Thatch whined.

Ace sighed, losing his fond smile, and stood, thinking his shift was over. He stretched a bit before heading inside for some food the moment the gate was closed.

He walked into All Might, who looked tired. Must have been a long day, or he was still sore from the night before. Ace knew he was, and he didn't need to move around much. "How'd your first day go, young Ace?"

"Fine. A couple of the kids asked me some questions but other than that it was just keeping watch. You look exhausted," Ace said, looking up and down the number 1 hero.

All Might chuckled. "I am a bit sore." Ace said he was, too, and that he'd be sleeping as much as he could that night. "Well, it's a Friday. Sunday is the day off. Not to wait too long if you are here for that many days." Ace nodded, and got something to eat before going to the infirmary to sleep.

The next two days were just as boring as the first, but being useful was nice, and cleaning had been boring. Ace was just fine in the heat. It was weird it was all one season, not each island with a different one. He missed the unexpectedness of his home world. He missed the challenging storms, fighting off sea kings. He hoped they were okay without him.

Well, the second division seat had been empty 20 years, he knew they could adapt. But still, he'd been a commander for almost three years, they must miss him and his leadership, which made everything easier.

On Sunday, the day off, Ace spent it studying pro-heros. Nezu lended him some of his books, which Ace was grateful for. He'd told them all about his power and the rest of the world's. He did notice that the books he'd been given were about their powers, not weaknesses. And that made sense. Plus, Ace had given them only one of his weaknesses. He wouldn't say a thing about water or seastone in case that was something here.

When he went to bed at night, he always hoped he'd wake up in his bed. Not this hospital bed, constantly smelling rubbing alcohol. But, he dealt with it, as it was better than nothing at all. Sleeping on the floor or outside somewhere would be much worse than where he was given now.

Since nobody knew how long he'd be trapped there, they had made him more pairs of shorts. He was grateful for that very much. He had seen the washing machine, and was amazed. They had to wash clothes by hand back home. Well, he didn't, he was a commander, but this was pretty cool.

While he did think the tech in this world was amazing, it didn't make him want to stay. Nothing would make him want to stay. He'd rather be home with his family, playing pranks, fighting enemies. Nothing would be better than that life. He would be unable to raise his 600,000,000 bounty _here._ He was fighting to get above Jozu and Vista, but it had not happened yet.

It was Monday that someone grumpy came up to him while eating dinner. The kids had talked to him a bit again on their way home, but Ace kept information minimal. He did know more names. Bakugo was the angry brat, Tsu actually _was_ a frog, he hadn't been being rude, Iida was the one with pipes for legs, he seems kind of strict and with a stick shoved up his ass. Kirishima was an excited guy, kind of reminded him of Thatch. Seemed like a nice, goofy guy. Some of the quirks were very similar to devil fruits.

And the one Ace was similar to did come to school. Midnight entered, trying to get the guy to leave Ace alone. Ace looked up from his chicken dish and saw a big guy with a costume on with some of himself made of fire. Ace could tell he was strong. Endeavor, the guy both All Might and Todoroki warned him about. He didn't stand, refusing to not finish his food.

"So, you're the fire kid?" he asked. Ace thought he must sound grumpy all the time. He could just tell. Ace nodded. "What can you do?"

"I'll tell me yours if you tell me mine," Ace said simply. Endeavor looked angry that anyone would talk to him like that, but Ace didn't need to show him respect. He wasn't a part of this world and Endeavor was not feeding and housing him.

"Fine. You go first," he said, still standing. Ace explained most of his attacks, answered some questions. Endeavor looked both interested and angry. When he explained his attacks, Ace was a bit worried, since most of this guy's attacks were similar to Ace's, only he had more weaknesses. Ace could never run out of fire since his body was made of it.

"I'm the number two hero, the only fire one. You won't be a part of it," he said.

Ace put his hands up. "Look, man, I have no desire to be a pro-hero or a hero at all. I'm not gonna take your spot even if I wanted to," he said simply, being completely honest.

"Then what is your power for if not to save others?"

Ace thought about the best answer. "Well, protecting myself and my family. I'm not a hero, I just care for my own. Fighting off bad guys for myself is pretty much it. Also keeping myself warm on winter islands and making food if the stove breaks," Ace replied, making it clear he didn't use his power to save others.

He started to look a bit interested now that Ace explained he wasn't the hero type, and never would be. "So, you use it just for yourself?"

Ace nodded. "No one protects you in my world but yourself. It's not like here, we have no real government and the marines are corrupt. You gotta fight for yourself," the youngest replied. It was getting late and he was tired. He hadn't had a nap that day, and he was exhausted. "I'm going to bed. It was nice to meet you," Ace announced and brought his empty plate and glass to the counter.

Endeavor said nothing else to him as he made his way to the infirmary's back room to collapse. But before he got there, he ran into All Might. "Young Ace, were you talking to Endeavor?" Ace nodded, his head lolling. "Are you alright?"

"Sleep, narcolepsy…" Ace muttered, and fell forwards. All Might caught him and put him on his back.

Next thing both of them knew was that they were slammed onto a bed, the bottom snapping under All Might's weight. Ace woke up, looking around before he grinned. "I'm back! Fuck yeah!" Then he looked over. "Oh, no you came, too!" Ace said. All Might looked quite worried. "Don't freak out. We'll be back soon in your time. Just… wait here," Ace said, and got up to run out.

He went on deck and found Pops. "Pops! I'm back! How long have I been gone?" The captain grinned and hugged Ace. Marco was there, and said, "Four hours this time." Ace huffed.

"Anyways, I accidentally brought someone else with me. He's a good guy and has been helping me from the start. Try not to tell him we're criminals, okay?" Ace explained. Thatch and Haruta ran over, begging to meet the guy. Ace grinned and nodded, bringing him out to meet Pops and Marco.

He opened the bedroom and said, "All Might, come meet Pops. The captain I told you about. We'll figure out what to do in a bit. Don't worry, it'll work out. I was gone for awhile and it's only been four hours here. I'm sure U.A. would survive one night without you," Ace assured. All Might nodded and came out.

"Wow, his outfit is so colorful!" Thatch said. "I'm Thatch, the chef, this is Haruta. Come meet our captain. And don't be intimidated by his size," the chef added. "Soooo, you have a super power?" Thatch fished.

All Might was doing well to look unconcerned. Almost interested, though Ace could tell the smile was a bit forced, if it wasn't always. They walked through the halls as All Might explained that his power was super strength. They passed Jozu, who was quite big and All Might was almost ten feet shorter. "Wow. Your crew members are quite large."

"Yup!" Haruta said. "Hey, hey, will you show us your power?" he begged, eyes sparkling.

Ace sighed and told them to back off, saying that popping into another world was stressful. They both pouted but said nothing else. All Might was sweating in worry. They went out on deck, All Might commenting that their ship was very large. Then they saw Pops. "Pops, this is All Might, the number one hero in their world."

All Might balked at Whitebeard's size. "Nice to meet you. My name is Whitebeard, thank you for helping my son while he was in need. We all appreciate it." Marco was sitting on his shoulder, staring at All Might in suspicion.

"It is nice to meet you as well. Ace speaks fondly of you all," All Might replied. Pops' smile clearly made him less stressed, as his shoulders relaxed a bit. "So, this is your world? And this ship is your home?" Ace nodded, and commanders started introducing themselves. Everyone was happy to meet him after hearing how he'd helped Ace out from the beginning.

Then the hero noticed many of them had tattoos. Nobody had asked about Ace's tattoos, not wanting to pry it seemed, which Ace was glad of. He didn't like being asked about his tribute tattoo. Then he looked around at the others with all of the weapons and rugged appearances.

"Are you criminals?" he asked in surprise but not necessarily anger or hate, looking at Ace, who looked uncomfortable.

"In this world. You're either with the world government or against them. We're pirates, technically criminals. All good pirate crews are hunted the same intensity as the bad ones," Ace explained. All Might and the other staff knew about this world's corrupt government.

All Might asked if Ace was a criminal, too. "Well, yeah. But you shouldn't judge me here like you do at U.A. It's kill or be killed in my world. Yours is much more… organized and peaceful. If you're here for a couple days, I'm sure you'll see. But there's no need to worry about anyone flying off the handle." All Might looked worried for a moment before replying.

"I do not think you are a villain, and as long as you commit no crimes in our world, I will still trust your character," he vowed, and Ace grinned and thanked him for the trust. They were about to talk again before Namur shouted, "Storm incoming!"

The pirates started to run around the deck, bolding things down and furling the sails before tying themselves to the ship. "All Might, go inside!" Ace shouted. "Shit, sea kings, too!"

"Let the storm take care of them! They'll swim off once they breach the surface!" Namur shouted over the wind and pouring rain, the waves shaking back and forth. Ace shouted at All Might to hurry inside, and he did. Ace almost laughed at the look of bewilderment and fear on his face. The pro-hero was not going to be in his game in the New World.

Ths storm passed as quickly as it had come, and the sea kings swam away. They got their bearings and unfurled the sails. Ace went inside to get the man and found him in the hallway. Ace was still soaked and so was All Might. "Storm is over, you can come back out," Ace told him.

The man from another world followed Ace out. "You weren't kidding when you said your world is a rough place. Is that normal?" he asked, probably wondering where the storm went as it was completely gone.

Vista nodded, the one to speak, "The New World demands you to be strong and tough. That was a normal occurrence, no need to worry. We know what we're doing as long as you don't fall off." All Might nodded.

Marco suddenly spoke, him and Pops back in the chair, "You didn't tell me All Might was terminally ill." All Might went pale, losing his smile for the first time Ace had seen. Ace looked questioning. "I can tell he's ill." Then he grinned, and Ace did, too. "Want me to fix it?"

All Might frowned. "I am indeed injured. And my days are numbered. But I cannot accept your help without repaying it."

"Too bad, this is my world. I followed your orders at yours. We're gonna fix you up," Ace said with a smile, and released haki, knocking the man out. Jozu caught him, and All Might was suddenly skinny and ill looking.

They hurried to the infirmary. "Shouldn't take too long. I've healed multiple injuries since you left after the pirate raid was over," Marco said, putting All Might on the hospital bed and hooking him up to some sedative in an IV bag. It wouldn't do for him to wake up and freak out.

"Oh yeah, the fight was today for you. It's so confusing, to me it's been days," Ace muttered. "Well, fix him up. I know you can."

Marco nodded and wheeled him into the x-ray room. Just because he could tell All Might was sick didn't mean he knew what was exactly. "Damn," Marco said when he wheeled him back out, multiple commanders there. "His stomach is gone and his lungs are damaged. But don't worry, I can rebuild the stomach if I give him enough." Ace was shocked that All Might had no stomach but was still functioning, still fighting! It was incredible, and inspiring.

Marco pulled the shirt part of the now baggy outfit up so see the horrible scar on his gut. He winced at the wound. It looked like it was incredibly painful, even though it had been long enough for it to scar over.

Apparently, Marco had his blood in bags already in the freezer, ready to be used. There was a pebble of seastone in each to keep them blood and not flames. Marco put the needle in All Might's arm, which was much weaker in this form. Ace wondered how he'd gotten this bad of a wound.

He hoped the guy wouldn't be too mad when he woke up. Oh well, he knew All Might would have done the same for him if he was going to die. Even though he just met the man, he was a good one. Even accepted that Ace was a criminal without barring him from helping out at the school. Hopefully, if anyone found out, this act would change their opinion of a common pirate. Well, not common, a super powerful one, but he didn't need to know that his bounty was high.

The IV drip of sedative worked for the whole time as Ace, Marco and a handful of the more curious commanders saw his stomach distend a bit from the stomach regrowing, with the scar dissipating, the damaged skin being sucked into a middle point until it was gone. Marco and Ace were grinning and waited until all of the blood was gone before taking him back to the x-ray. Only Marco was in there, and he came out with a satisfied look on.

"All better. His lungs have healed and his stomach has regrown completely." Marco took out the other needle, and put the shirt back in place over the wound. He suddenly changed back into his buff form. Marco had the two x-rays on the board so he could prove to All Might that he was actually healed.

Clearly, they all knew his world had no power like Marco's or he'd have been healed long ago. "So, Ace, how was life there this time?" Marco asked as they waited for their guest to wake up. Ace told them all about his fight with the guy, and now he was watching the gate.

"It's boring and I miss everyone a lot, but I'm trying to make the best of the situation. I just hope it will stop soon. It's different for everyone else. You don't have to wait that long for me to come back," Ace said sadly.

"We still worry, Ace. We just don't worry as long as you do. Just, do your best there. It sounds like you're doing a great job. I know some on this crew that would not behave well. But then again, you're just polite as a person. What a weird pirate," Marco said jokingly.

"Ugh," All Might made a noise, waking up.

His eyes widened and he looked a bit angry. "Don't freak out. You're healed but I still want you on bed rest," Marco said sternly. "I'm the doctor here." All Might looked shocked.

"What do you mean?" he asked quietly. Marco wheeled over the board, and explained that it was a before and after.

"How on earth did you lose your stomach?" Marco asked in disbelief. "I'm just impressed you've lasted long enough for that wound to scar over." All Might just said he got in a tough battle with a very powerful man. Then it seemed to click that the second photo was still of him. "Your stomach has grown back and the lungs have been repaired. If you don't believe me, take a look."

All Might slowly pulled the shirt up to see his stomach wasn't slightly concave and the gruesome scar was gone. "H-How? Why? I told you not to."

Ace frowned. "Don't you want to see your students grow into good heroes? Do you want to miss out on all of that? Besides, I did what you would'a done for me. It's not a big deal, we didn't even waste any equipment on you. Your payment was helping me out when I needed it," Ace said with a grin.

Marco explained about his experiment that had worked on many people. "I put my own blood in your system." He lit his hand on fire. "I'm a phoenix, so all of my wounds heal. After my arm was cut off and regrew, I started trying to do the same on others. It's worked every time. I'm glad to help someone Ace cares for," he said with a smile. "Now, only liquid foods for now, just as a precaution. And bedrest, even when you get back to your home world."

All Might finally smiled, though not his usual one, it was a soft, relieved and sincere one. "I cannot thank you enough. I had gotten used to knowing I was to die, I made other plans. I will see them through, but now I will live longer." Then he added, "You could help so many people."

Marco replied, "I'm not a saint or hero, I'm a pirate. I'll heal those I care about, not strangers. You're a stranger, but we owed a debt to you. So, you don't need to thank us anymore. Once is enough, we did it because we wanted to." Then he rolled the x-ray board away and came back. "Ace, go get Thatch to make some soup for him," Marco commanded, and Ace ran off.

When he came back twenty minutes later, he had a huge tray with a large bowl of soup and a pitcher of water and a large glass. "Here you go. Thatch's cooking is great."

All Might ate some, and said he agreed that it was delicious. He was distracted for most of the time before it was night time. He was going to be staying in the infirmary, but grew concerned if Ace teleported back without him. "I mean, I could sleep in here, too. We could attach a rope. No offense, but I'm not holding your hand."

All Might laughed. "That is fine young Ace. I truly appreciate your brother's help. I always thought gangs were terrible. _Pirates,_ here." Ace sat on the other bed, eating his sandwich for dinner.

"Well, a large majority are. I don't like to think we're bad pirates, even if we do 'bad' things sometimes. It's just the way of the world to steal from other pirates. Makes things exciting," Ace said with a grin. He noticed the hero touching his side often. "Does it feel better, now?"

All Might nodded. Marco came in, and said, "All Might, you need to sleep. It was a lot to grow back, and rest helps heal any wound. Ace, don't keep him up." Ace promised he wouldn't. Marco gave All Might some sleeping pills. "I know you won't be able to sleep anytime soon. This is the lowest dose. If you can't sleep in an hour, take these two pills," he instructed and put two small pills on a napkin next to the water.

Ace was already snoring, and the hero didn't need to take the extra pills.

Life on the ship was hard for the man at first. He was seasick during any rough waves, which Ace found hilarious, but didn't laugh. He did rest for the three days he was told to, following directions to a T. After all, he was no longer a boss in this world, and he accepted that.

Ace was still tied to a rope with him, either side wrapped around their wrists. Ace looked forward to seeing the reactions of the people on the other world. See them thank Marco's existence. He was proud of his brother so much. He was so badass!

"Is this how it is for you being in our world? Having to bend to the will of those who are in charge? After all, you're a boss here, yet bend when you aren't. I have to say, it's a bit irritating," All Might said honestly with a laugh.

Ace smiled. "Well, we're both in the same boat. You give me food and shelter, we give you food and shelter. It's only natural you show respect and live the way they want. I know I hate not being able to use my powers whenever I want, but I'm not a suicidal idiot, no matter if I can be a reckless pirate.

"I'm a pirate and do pirate things at my home, but your world isn't my home. Isn't anything like it," Ace finished.

"That is for sure," All Might agreed. "It must be a drastic change for you to live on a ship out at sea and to suddenly be on land all the time." Ace nodded, saying he much rather liked being out on sea where things were exciting. "I wonder, what would you do with your powers if you were allowed to use them however you wished?" All Might asked curiously, but hesitantly.

Ace leaned back in the bed and replied, "If you're asking whether I'm a hero or a villain, I have no allegiance to either. I won't be a hero for people I don't know, but I have no reason or desire to be a villain. Your society is organized, and I think that it should stay that way, as it functions well. At least, about what I know about your society.

"So I'd use my power when I wanted, but wouldn't hurt anyone with it. Watch," Ace said, a grin on as he shot flames at All Might, who looked horrified before realizing the flames weren't burning the other man. He sucked them back into his hand. "I have absolute control over my fire and its temperature, so nobody needs to worry about me setting anything or anyone on fire by accident."

All Might told him his control was remarkable. Ace again pointed out that quirks and devil fruits were different, so he had better power over his since all of the potential came at once. "It still takes practice, but I learned pretty quick. So did Marco and Jozu. My brother, however, is another story. My little brother I grew up with, Luffy.

Ace looked up and smiled. "He ate his devil fruit at six, and was made of rubber. He could barely do anything with it. When we trained, he couldn't even throw a punch. It would bounce off the ground and hit his own face. It was pathetic! Haha, but I wasn't the best brother at first. Due to childhood circumstances, I was quite cruel to him at first, but he kept wanting to be my friend." Ace said the last part softly. "I love him, even if I despised him at first. People change, and I did a lot."

All Might said he wasn't at all in the same boat. He wanted the world to be peaceful. "Once I got my quirk, I grew more determined, wanting to be the pillar of hope and peace the world needed."

"Sounds boring," Ace snickered.

"It's definitely not. I take joy in saving people, seeing them relieved and smiling. Being a hero to me is being a pirate to you. We both enjoy our occupations." Ace nodded with a grin.

All Might was out of bedrest the next day, and explored the ship a bit with Ace. Still tied together with rope. Ace was growing irritated with it, but there was nothing he could do. Leaving All Might here with him teleporting alone would be a mess.

And it was at dinner that night that they both disappeared, both slamming onto the ground outside on the field. They both stood up, and Ace burned the rope away. "Well, you're home," Ace said. They noticed there was a class in front of them.

"ALL MIGHT IS BACK! WHERE DID YOU GO?!" Kirishima demanded.

"Oh, did I miss class? Sorry, I ended up accidentally going with young Ace to his own world." He was grinning but looked a bit awkward. "I promise I will see you tomorrow, I must speak to the principal. Ace, come with me." Ace nodded, popping his neck as they passed the students and Eraser Head, who looked cranky. Well, he seemed to always look cranky.

* * *

**Some of you already guessed it. :( I made it too obvious with Marco's regrowing limbs and organs. So, another fix-it! More to come! It might be a surprise of the other ones. So, All Might is healed! Marco is the best. All Might won't get his powers back, though. He just is healed and healthy. See you next week!**


	5. A Training Session With Ace

#### Carimes_treehouse: Thank you! I'm glad it surprised you since some seemed to know it was coming lol.

#### Adamari2001: Marco is an angel, even in canon. I love him so much.

#### Trying_To_Be_Happy: REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET

#### 1eragon33: Thank you! I'm glad you like it 

* * *

**More interactions between Ace and class 1-A. Enjoy~**

* * *

"I hope it didn't cause any problems with being gone from my post," Ace said. He was sad, still, that he'd left. At least he hadn't been alone and his family knew what had happened. But, he had to at least take All Might back.

They headed inside, Ace glad he had everything on him, even his dagger regardless of whether he'd be using it here. "Don't worry, young Ace. You didn't ask for that to happen. I do wonder how long we have been gone. At least through the night." Ace nodded, agreeing with that. The kids weren't so freaked out that he'd been missing for days. Probably just hours.

When they entered the principal's office, Ace and All Might sat down. "Where have you been, All Might?" Nezu asked immediately, looking concerned.

"I accidentally was taken to young Ace's world with him. I have good news. I have been healed completely," All Might said, getting straight to the point. Nezu dropped his tea in shock. All Might grinned. "The skills of devil fruits are amazing, are they not?"

"How? Even Recovery Girl could not fix you and she was the most powerful healer we have," Nezu said though he was grinning now.

Ace sat quietly while All Might began to explain, "Young Ace has a brother who had the power of a phoenix. With his blood, my stomach was able to regrow and my lungs have been returned to completely healthy. I am back in action, Principal Nezu. And we cannot thank Ace enough."

"It was Marco that did it, not me," Ace corrected. The pro-hero pointed out that it was thanks to Ace's connections with him that caused it. Nezu turned to Ace and gave a bow. Ace was uncomfortable with it and thanked him, saying he didn't need to bow.

Nezu asked what life in Ace's world was like. "Quie rugged and difficult. They live on a ship, and the storms are horrendous. And they happen multiple times a week. It's just lucky the hospital beds can be bolted to the floor and the patients strapped in or I'd have bounced around the walls."

All Might was in a great mood. "Ace, can you step out for a moment?" Ace nodded and opened the sliding door and closed it, leaning against the wall next to it. All the praise by these people was weird because they knew nothing about him and he didn't think they'd be sincere if they knew he was a wanted criminal. He expected All Might to keep it a secret for him. He really didn't seem the type to lie or betray.

He was no Teach.

Ace was welcomed back in only ten minutes later, and returned to his chair. "Ace," Nezu began, "How would you like to help All Might with his classes? Someone with your degree of fighting skill and strategy intelligence could be very helpful for our students."

The pirate commander would much rather do that than wait outside the wall and guard a gate all the time. Ace agreed happily. "Great, All Might will school you on how to best help them. Please do not actually burn them. Scaring them with fire should be enough." Ace nodded, saying he'd keep his flames safe.

"I must tell Recovery Girl," All Might announced. Ace said he wanted a nap, so he'd go with him.

"Thank you, Principal Nezu. For trusting me, I am grateful," Ace said with a bow. All Might looked at him strangely. "What?" he asked.

All Might laughed, making Ace confused. "It's like you have two personalities. When you interacted with your crew - family - you could be quite rude and foul. You dumped paint on them. It is just very different to see you respectful like this after what I've seen of you at your home world." Ace chuckled, saying home is where he could be himself.

Ace had been thinking for a bit about telling All Might his weakness, so someone knew to save him if he somehow drowned, and fell into water somewhere here. Though he didn't know where that would be since there was no ocean all around them. "I need to tell you something in private," Ace suddenly said, turning the atmosphere more serious.

"Alright," the pro-hero said, and brought Ace to an empty room that looked like it was for meetings.

"I need you to promise you won't tell anybody else. I'm going to trust you," Ace said seriously, and All Might promised. "I have one more weakness. I can't swim. Devil fruit users are weak to water, and we go limp and powerless. Water can kill me," he explained.

The man blinked twice. "I will not tell anyone, but if that is true, why on earth would you risk being a pirate surrounded by water?" he asked in disbelief. Ace grinned.

He said, confidently, "Adventure is worth risking your life at any moment. Plus, there were plenty of people to fish me out if I do fall in." All Might said they were crazy, but with a laugh. He said, "I have to say, young Ace, when you get back to your home permanently, I will be a bit sad. You're quite likable." Ace smiled.

"It's been interesting being here, but I'd much rather resume my adventure for good. It's hard being away from them. But, I'm trying to do my best to not be depressed. Helping you out should be a good distraction for me. Anyways, just don't tell anyone, and if I drown, I hope you save me." All Might nodded and said he promised before they left the meeting room and went to the infirmary.

Ace went straight to the back room and took off his shoes before falling asleep immediately. He didn't even wake when All Might told Recovery Girl and she screamed. He was so tired, and slept for hours before sitting up, stomach growling.

When he put his shoes back on and left his room, Recovery Girl hugged him. Ace awkwardly patted her back. "Thank you!"

"I'm not the one who did it, it was my brother. I'll pass on the thank you," Ace said nicely. "Now I'm starving, so I'm gonna go get something to eat." She was still blubbering. Ace wasn't good with people who cry. "Um, bye," Ace said, inching away before he ran for the door.

"No running in my infirmary!" she shouted, still tears in her voice. Ace just laughed. That was how Thatch would have reacted. He'd cry and then get pissy if Ace entered the kitchen, _his_ kitchen. He stopped running and looked at his feet. Ace then slapped his cheeks and shook his head. Everyone would be mad if he moped the whole time. Nobody likes him being sad. The baby brother can't be sad. He smiled at the thought.

Even if this back and forth never changed… they would still love him, and he'd spend his time with them as best as he could. Time didn't pass for them, and he was glad of that. He would miss no adventures, but still. It was hard.

He passed two people, kids, didn't recognize them from the class he'd seen a few times. "Y-You're Ace, right? The guy not from here?" a girl with orange hair in a side ponytail asked.

"Yeah. I think I'll be seeing you both some time again, so I'll introduce myself to everybody there," he said, a strained smile on. The girl asked if anything was wrong. "I'm starving, so I'm gonna go get food. Are there a lot of people in there right now?" She nodded, and he sighed, not in the mood to be surrounded by people staring at him when he was sad.

"Well, there are some vending machines, you can try those. They have snacks and drinks," she said. Ace had no idea what that was. "I can show you if you want." He took her up on the offer, thanking her. While they walked, she tried to talk to him. If he was going to be working with All Might, he'd no doubt meet this girl again. And her silent friend with green hair that looked like vines.

"So, you really are from another world? And you took All Might with you?" she asked excitedly. Ace nodded, but said taking All Might had been an accident. "That's so amazing…" When they arrived at the vending machine, Ace had no idea how it worked. It looked like a clear refrigerator with a lock.

The vine girl put a few coins in a slot, and Ace was told to press anything he wanted. He chose a bag of chips and a chocolate bar. He stuffed the chips in his mouth and then unwrapped the candy, biting into it. It was delicious. Not as good as That- _stop it!_ Ace frowned, but lost it before they noticed.

"Thank you. So you, put berries in and then food comes out?" They looked at him in confusion. "What is currency called here?" he asked, realizing they didn't know what berries were. She replied that it was "yen". Ace nodded. "Yen" was boring sounding, berries were better.

"Well, we should be going. It was nice to meet you, Ace," the redhead said. Ace waved goodbye, and sat down on a nearby bench. He changed into fire to calm himself. Being made of fire relaxed him, made him forget he was alone. It's what he'd done with his first months on the Whitebeard ship. Back when he hated them and tried to kill Pops.

He felt a presence and opened his eyes, going back to his normal form, only with flames still licking at his skin. Freckles was there. "Um, I… I want to thank you for fixing All Might. He was gonna die… But now he's better," Freckles said happily, tears in his eyes. Ace smiled.

"It wasn't me, it was my brother. He's a phoenix and gave his flames to All Might to heal him," Ace explained. All of the sudden, Freckles had a notebook and pencil, looking crazed a bit. He begged for Ace to tell him more. Well, why not. It wouldn't be giving away information about himself. "Sure, why not."

Freckles ran over and sat next to Ace excitedly. "Marco is a mythical zoan user…" and he told Midoriya (his real name) all about Marco. He described the difference between paramecia, zoan and logia, leaving out the weakness of sea stone and water.

Eventually, while he spoke, Ace noticed someone down the hall, hiding around the corner. "I know you're there, if you want to come out," Ace called.

"The fuck, how'd you know?!" Hothead shouted. Ace grinned, and said he used observation haki, something that didn't exist in this world. "Are you like, invincible or someshit?"

Ace shrugged with a grin. "I guess you'll find out tomorrow. Let's just say I'm no longer cleaning or protecting the wall. It was nice talking to you Freckles. See you later." Hothead started laughing at the nickname Ace had given. "See you tomorrow as well, Hothead." Hothead got angry and shouted at him not to say that.

"Stupid flame brain! You get a nickname, too!" Hothead said, and Ace laughed. That was Marco's name.

Ace said, as he turned the corner, "The nickname is already for my brother. Come up with something else."

He headed to find All Might, to ask him for more details about tomorrow, maybe know about the students so he was more prepared. He wouldn't go easy. He'd never been trained easy, he didn't know how to do that. He'd pull some punches, but he wasn't going to baby them. They were wanting to be badasses, weren't they? Codling wouldn't help them.

If Ace had fought easy as a kid with Sabo and Luffy, he wouldn't be who he was today. Learning to fight young was the best thing to happen. Recovery Girl and those in this world might balk at his childhood living conditions, but that was what made him strong, strong enough to handle the type of training he'd go through with the Whitebeards.

So, he'd rather have lived in a jungle than a fancy home. It was better for him in the long run. When he found All Might, it was on the phone. Ace thought den den mushis were a lot more interesting, even if they couldn't do as much as phones.

He waited outside the room, and when All Might came out, Ace saw his eyes were watery. He didn't know whether to interrupt. "Um, All Might? I have a question," the young adult said.

"Oh, young Ace. I wanted to talk to you. To prepare you for tomorrow. We'll be starting in the morning. And I also wanted to let you know it was due to your brother that I mended an important friendship, so add that to my message as well." Ace didn't point out that Marco said he didn't want any more thank yous.

Ace said he was actually coming to ask about that. If he could know the quirks of the kids. Apparently there were going to be forty of them tomorrow. All might took him to a study room and got two books. Ace opened them to see they held what they knew of the kids' quirks so far. They were quite varied.

"I'd like you to go easier on them for the first try," All Might said after Ace skimmed through the first book, with class 1-A. Some were just as stupid as the most useless devil fruits, but others were already powerful or would be powerful.

The pirate said, "That might be a bit hard for me, but I'll do my best. I won't cause any broken bones or burns, but they'll probably have some bruises." All Might laughed and said that was fine, as long as there was no long term damage. "When I trained as a kid, it wasn't like this. We _had_ to be strong, to live where we did. We had to get cuts, bruises, gun shot wounds. It wasn't like this, voluntarily getting stronger."

All Might looked shocked. "No offense, but I liked my childhood more than this clean one. You saw my world, how you gotta be strong for it. If I had been sheltered in childhood, I would have never made it to where I am now. I wish everyone would stop acting like it was horrible. It wasn't," he said, unable to hide the irritation in his voice. He felt they looked down on it.

"That is true. You are stronger than many pro-heros, and even though he only got the power when you were 17, you were already well trained before that, which no doubt helped your improvement. We just can't see a world where people lived that way. It's nothing personal, I assure you." Ace nodded, though he wished they would stop.

"I'm going to use haki, if that's alright?" Ace asked. It would be hard to ignore his observation haki, and he'd be using armament for some, like Hothead's bomb power. It might hurt, even if it didn't seriously wound them.

All Might nodded, saying that was fine. They would face enemies that they didn't know their powers. "Since you are known for fire, they won't see the haki coming. I'm sure it will be interesting tomorrow! Oh, and I've gotten you a room other than the back of the infirmary. I'll show you."

Ace grinned, glad he didn't need to fall asleep to the smell of antiseptic and beeping of machines. He followed the pro-hero to a hallway with many doors. "This used to be a dorm area, but nobody uses it. You can pick any room you wish. You're welcome to eat dinner with the staff or students." Ace nodded, and opened the nearest room, finding a small bed, a dresser and a large window.

"This is great, thank you," Ace said and walked inside. Dust covered everything, and he knew burning dust caused explosions, so he couldn't burn it. He'd learned that the hardway, blowing a hole in his old ship. His crew had been so furious.

All Might stood in the doorway, and said, "It's hard to remember you are a leader in your world. You're a top officer of the strongest crew, and I treat you like a teenager." Ace laughed, and pointed out how no one had treated him like a superhero back home. "I guess that is true!" and he laughed.

Ace said, "But I do appreciate the respect. Even before your injury was healed. It is annoying, not having a say in anything, but there's nothing I can do about that, so I'll adapt as best as I can." He yawned, and said he was gonna take another nap.

"You sure do sleep a lot, Ace-san," All Might said. The sudden change in title didn't go unnoticed. All Might wasn't going to treat him like a student or child anymore. Ace had put up a good fight against him, so it was natural he was treated with a bit of respect.

The young man said, "I have narcolepsy. Makes me sleepy often. Luckily, I don't usually have sleep attacks during battle." He closed his eyes and started to snore on the dusty mattress. No blankets were there yet.

When Ace woke up, he found new changes of clothes, sheets and a duster. He dusted the whole room and then put his things away. This room was no commander's bedroom, but it would do. For however long he was stuck here, and how many times at that, at least he didn't need to sleep in the infirmary anymore.

-x-

Ace was eating a waffle sandwich while sitting on the roof of the stadium, where the ground was no longer black from the fight, waiting for the kids to come. He was thinking of strategies for each one of them. There was one in particular that he would not be using his full power on. It would be disheartening. He was there to kick ass, not break hearts.

The kid who could control animals. Ace could use his conqueror's haki to tame them himself, since he'd be frightening instead of loved. He wouldn't turn the animals on the guy. He wouldn't do that, it would be needlessly cruel. It wasn't going to be easy, he'd fight physically, even if birds or bugs or rats went after him.

He had just finished the food and the bottle of water when he heard class 1-A outside of the stadium. He looked down to see them, all wearing those interesting and sometimes stupid costumes. A few were a bit strange to wear for such young women, but he'd make no comment.

"Ace-san!" All Might called, and Ace dropped down from the roof of the stadium, landing easily on the ground with little sound of impact. "You will all be taking turns fighting him. And he won't go easy on you, so be prepared."

Ace grinned and said, "I promise I won't kill anybody. But I won't go easy," he warned. A few of the boys in the back grinned at this while a few in the front were worried.

All Might was grinning, like usual. The kids, Ace noticed, looked at All Might strange when he called Ace "Ace-san". A show of respect from the number one hero might be strange for them. But he knew of Ace's status, and since Ace respected his status, All Might would do the same for him.

"And I'm Ace, by the way. Nice to meet you," Ace said, giving an easy smile.

"Where did you come from? Where did All Might go with you?!" a tiny kid with purple balls for hair demanded.

All Might said, "If he wishes, Ace will share _after_ the battles are over. Alright everyone, into the stadium! Who wants to go first?"

"Me! I'll take him down!" It was Hothed, and Ace was not surprised. The students besides him, walked up the stadium stairs. The barrier was already up, and Ace stood across the stage from Bakugo, his actual name. He didn't move, letting the guy attack first.

Bakugo didn't wait to start using his power, and made a blast that would have been too quick for normal people, or at least people who weren't as strong as Ace, but he saw it coming and easily evaded it. He shot forward and let out a plume of hot flames that were not bad enough to burn, and then broke through with a haki covered leg, kicking him in the side. He flew to the sideways, grunting before using his other hand to make an explosion to stop him from flying too hard.

Ace didn't let him attack before he was on him, letting loose fire after fire. When Bakugo had to block, Ace coated his arm in haki before slamming it down on his Grenade Bracer, breaking it before grabbing his hand and lighting it on fire, causing Bakugo to be harmed by his own explosion, forcing him into the barrier. He shouted, his arm burnt but not too badly.

He got up and ran at Ace, who wouldn't break the other brace. He let the kid grab his arm and blow it up, making Ace scatter as he hadn't coated his arm in haki, not wanting to end the fight too quickly. But he reformed behind him, and grabbed both arms, forcing him to the ground with his knee on his back.

Bakugo attempted to get out of his hold, but Ace grabbed both hands and pinned them down, hands covered in armament haki to stop the blasts. And he seemed to grow tired. He had a limit and had reached it. Ace knew he would be insulted if he helped the kid up. "Ace wins!" All Might calls.

Bakugo was furious and Ace gave him a wide grin. "That's not fair, you fucking used my power against me!"

"I did something you didn't expect. Isn't that what training is all about?" Ace replied. "The burn isn't too bad, it should fade by tomorrow," he assured him. After all, his whole arm was red. He accused Ace of going easy on him. "Would have rather I burnt your entire arm off, leaving a charred stump?" Bakugo scowled, but said nothing else and stomped away. Ace wasn't even out of breath. It was over in four minutes.

"Great first try, young Bakugo! You all have plenty of time to practice on Ace while he is still present! This is a great opportunity!" All Might declared. "Now, anymore volunteers?" he called. Ace was not surprised when there was no volunteer. "You will all need to participate, who wants to get it over with fast?"

Todoroki stood up, and raised his hand. Ace knew he worked with ice. He had never had the chance to fight Aokiji, which was a shame, so this might be fun. Especially if the ice doesn't melt easily. "Young Todoroki! Come on down!" the instructor said happily. Excitedly. Though he always seemed that way.

Ace stood on one end of the stage while the half and half kid stood on the other. "Don't go easy on me," Todoroki ordered.

"I can't promise that," Ace replied. Todoroki just barely narrowed his eyes. He shot forth a fast spike of ice, and Ace sidestepped it easily before melting it into steam completely, no water. Ace was going to let them all do the first attack, but wouldn't let up much after that. He shot towards the kid, sending a plume of fire at him. He blocked himself with a wall of ice that Ace punched through, grabbing a surprised Todoroki at the scruff of his shirt.

He was shocked but acted quickly freezing the hand. "Good reflex!" Ace said, unable to help himself. He melted the wall and ran at him again, the kid just barely ducking. Ace sent fire down on him, making the kid roll to the side, eyes wide. He wondered why he wasn't using his fire, only ice.

Todoroki shot a lance of Ice at Ace, who let it go through his stomach and straight through the other side. There were some screaming, and Bakugo laughed before Ace jumped away, hole gone, filled with fire, perfectly unharmed. "Take advantage of your enemy if they are in the air and harder to move around!"

He couldn't help it, he _was_ supposed to help train them. Another ice wall was made, but Ace didn't use fire or dodge, he covered his fist with haki and punched through three feet of ice before pinning Todoroki down, yanking both arms up so he couldn't do anything. "Nice, you kept a cool head. Hah, no pun intended."

"Young Todoroki is out!" Ace almost saw the kid crack a smile at his non-planned joke. Ace melted the ice around the field. "Next!"

They went through each fighter, some doing worse than others. Some had an incredibly long way to go, but they were all kids, and in a world that didn't punish them for weakness at an early age. It was to be expected.

He used many of their quirks against them. He pulled the tape towards the kid who could shoot them from his elbow, and punched him in the gut, throwing him back and into the barrier. He had suggestions for some of them, but not others. He got a break halfway through where he chugged a bottle of cool water, and then was ready to fight again.

All of the kids who used physical attacks, like hitting him with a tail or extremity were useless. They learned pretty fast that blunt attacks didn't do much damage. There was one kid that he thought could become pretty strong. Kirishima, who could harden his body.

Flames didn't affect him, and Ace punching with no haki did either. He got good hits on Ace that would have landed if he kept himself solid. "Good, go for vital spots! Over and over, don't let your opponent get a break!" but he slammed a haki covered fist into his chest once, breaking the hardening and making him fall to the ground with a groan.

"Wow, you don't hold back," he said, hair out of its spikes. Ace helped him up and smiled.

"You could be pretty strong. Next time I might stay solid, see how that goes," Ace said with a laugh. He heard Kirishima mutter that he was so cool, and Ace chuckled.

There was one person he battled that made some yell that he was cheating. The invisible girl that he could find no matter how quiet. Could block every punch and kick. He closed his eyes to use his haki better. He heard her growl in anger and the stadium went quiet when he grabbed hold of her arm and slammed her down, pinning her on her stomach as she panting from the exertion and stinging burn on her arm. He'd burned each one at least a small, almost painless burn.

He helped her up with a smile. "Good fight. I think you should expect every enemy will know where you are, then you won't be surprised. Invisibility only affects one sense."

"Mmm," she said, and he felt her nod. She walked away, and by then most of them were nursing burns and bruises.

The little kid had probably the most useless power he had ever seen in his life. Creating sticky balls on his head that he weakly threw at Ace, who dodged each one, and when one stuck, he burned it away. "I give up!" he called. Ace was frozen in bewilderment.

"We haven't even started," Ace pointed out.

"I'm not invincible like everyone else!" he shouted. Ace raised an eyebrow.

"Okay, if you insist. I win, then," Ace said. Then it was Freckles. And Freckles was a mess. He did his very best, which Ace could commend, but he seemed like he barely knew how to use his quirk, which seemed to be super strength. Or at least, would be.

He actually broke a finger to attack Ace. it didn't work, the projectile went straight past him, unlike All Might, who's projectile had hit him perfectly. He stopped him before he could break another finger and pinned him down, accidentally dislocating a shoulder. Well, it would be easy to put back in place.

"Maybe before you focus on using your super strength all the time, learn hand to hand first. Then you might not even need to use your quirk on some opponents," Ace said when he pulled Freckles up. "That's how I learned," Ace said with a smile. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Ace, who turned and walked back to All Might.

"Next!" he called. Ace was having a blast. It wasn't a fair fight with any of them, he was decades ahead of them in firsthand experience. But even if he knew he'd win them, fighting against different types of powers was pretty fun.

Ace imagined Thatch and Haruta cheering the enemy on. "That's not fair, Ace! You're too overpowered!" Thatch would have shouted. Haruta would have thrown popcorn kernels at him so they popped when they touched Ace. He wished they were there to watch. It wouldn't be the same, telling them about it.

Well, at least he wasn't moping. They'd be happy with that. He was distracted a bit until All Might announced that it was over, as he'd fought everybody. Many outfits were damaged and needed to be repaired, and they'd be incredibly sore. Hopefully they had a break the next day. It was more fun than guarding the gate.

"Was it inappropriate of me to give them advice? I was sort of channeling Marco, who gave me tips as he kicked my ass," Ace said quietly when he and All Might were walking outside to meet the kids.

All Might shook his head. "Your tips are from experience just like mine, and are useful. You did well to harm them but not too badly. You have great control over your abilities, both your devil fruit and other skills." Ace thanked him, and when they got outside, all of the kids were laying down or sitting down, exhausted or pouting.

Ace bowed. "Good fight, everyone. Your powers are all very interesting," Ace said with a smile. Bakugo was glaring murder at him, while others were grinning like he was the coolest person ever.

"Are you invincible?" Uraraka asked, one who did not have a versatile quirk. She had made Ace float, but he pinned her down seconds later by shooting flames out of his feet to propel past her ability.

Ace sat down and said, "No, I've been defeated many times by all sorts of people. You can't rely on your powers only. You have to use strategies, right?" A few nodded, and Todoroki asked, "Do you have multiple powers? You can use fire, but you also turned your arm into metal."

"No, I have the power of fire. The other is called haki, everyone in my world who wants to succeed in a dangerous life needs to know it at least somewhat," Ace said simply.

"Ooh, ooh, can we use it?!" the acid girl said. It was hard to keep their names straight. Ace shook his head, since it didn't exist in this world. "Well, then isn't that cheating?"

All Might replied to this one, "Will your opponent always be fair? Will they always have the same amount of skill as you do? You must expect your enemy to be many, many times stronger than you and have many tricks up their sleeves."

Freckles asked how Ace learned his power. Since he said he'd learned hand to hand before his fire power. "My world isn't exactly all comfortable and sheltered. I lived in a jungle with massive animals. My first weapon was a pipe. I only ate my devil fruit when I was 17. So, I already knew how to fight before that. It was lucky, though, that I learned as a kid first. it's kept me alive all this time," he explained honestly.

Freckles asked what it had been like to All Might. "Ace-san's family is quite powerful and dangerous. And there are many enemies they have to fight off. Plus, the ocean they sail in has horrible weather and sea monsters. You're tough there or you die." The others gasped, and Acee smiled, since it was true.

"Kill or be killed, then?" Todoroki asked.

"Exactly," Ace responded. He asked how many people Ace had killed. All Might stepped in and said that that wasn't a topic they were going to discuss. "Now, let us go get some rest and food. Come to the nurse's room if you are too injured to come back tomorrow. Great class!"

"WHAT?! We have to fight him again tomorrow?!" Grape Wimp asked. Sero pointed out that he hadn't even fought, that he'd given up at the beginning. All Might assured them that they would not be fighting Ace again the next day.

Freckles wasn't in pain from his shoulder as it was focused on his badly broken finger. Man, what a shitty power if it injured you in the process. Ace walked behind them, hands in his pockets, thinking about his family. He sure had the story to tell them. The distraction was over now. The worry seeped in, making him bite his lip, glaring. He didn't want to mope, so he slapped his cheeks quietly and focused on anything else.

Anything other than Pops' laugh, Marco's stink eye, Thatch's pranks. Anything else, and it worked. He thought about how to help the kids with their powers. At least, not ones like Bakugo. He had no idea how to help Tsu, the frog girl. Her fight had been the worst, since he couldn't burn her tongue. He just gripped it and yanked her towards him to plant a punch in her gut.

"Good work today, Ace-san. You can be a real help here," All Might said. Ace smiled and nodded.

"All Might, why are you being so respectful to him? He's just some new guy," Bakugo grumbled. Many others were listening in, no doubt noticing the respectful tone given. Ace wasn't a kid, he was in his twenties, but he wasn't a known pro-hero to anyone. He did just show up.

"Ace is a leader in his world. He respects my position, so I will respect his. Mutual respect is always something to strive for!" he shouted. Bakugo scoffed, still very angry about losing so quickly. Well, they all did. But they were all kids, powers or not.


	6. First Villain Encounter

**Adamari2001:** **I'm so, so sorry you're going through that. I can't imagine how scared I would be if I were in that position. Life is hard right now, just life in general, and having that stress and also having school and on top of that, having your family sick must be terrible, and I'm so sorry you have to be in this situation. I truly hope your family gets better and that you are alright, and I'm so thankful that my story helps you. Even if it's just a little bit, I'm so happy to help in any way.**

**Violet_Violence: I wonder if Mineta ever pretends the sticky balls are boobs or some shit. I can see him "practicing" with them lol. I mean, they're squishy and round! I'll stop talking now.**

**Hiss_Hiss: Thank you!**

**Carimes_treehouse: YOYOOOOOO**

#### Otaku_Girl2176: Thank you! Looking at some of the tags, it gets worse for Ace before it gets better. I put him through so much. Though I destroyed Luffy in another crossover that hasn't been edited yet. He was tortured and is now mute. And I made fanart for that one, too!

* * *

**Yo, I'm sorry for the late post! I've been off on all my stories because I posted one one day late. -_- Anyways, USJ is next chapter, and Ace is a damn badass! Look forward to it! Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace stared at the ceiling of his room at the school, wishing he would be staring at his own ceiling in his own bed. Daytime was easy to be distracted when he was helping All Might out, but at night was when the loneliness came. He couldn't sleep. He sat up and put his boots on before opening his window and jumping down, landing in the grass before walking to the middle of the nearest grass field.

He looked up and couldn't see any stars from the lights around. The stars he would name with Izo, argue about when they were drunk. He curled up and put his jaw on his chin. "Wanna go home," he sighed.

He ended up falling asleep outside, on the grass. He woke when the sun rose, and wished hopelessly that he'd open his eyes and be back home. Or better, all of this was just a dream, and none of it had happened. But it wasn't a dream and he didn't know when he'd get back.

Ace stood up and stretched before going to the wall and sitting on it, looking out at the city. It was so big and… unfamiliar. Too shiny. There weren't any roofs, just flat surfaces. Too complicated. He felt stupid, complaining about such things.

Walking along the wall, and he came across a handful of real creepy looking people.

He knew that if someone was targeting the gate, they wanted into the school. Ace rose his arms and said, "Fire wall!", creating a thirty foot wall of fire around the perimeter of the school to keep anyone from going in. He stood in the flames. "Who are you?" he asked in a flat voice.

He stared down at the creepy guys. "Better question is, who the _fuck_ are you?" Ace sat down, looking completely calm.

"Just a passing guest. So, are you guys villains? You look like them," Ace commented. One of them had a costume of fake hands all over his body…? How was having one on your face not hindering sight or smell? Was it only to look creepy that he was sacrificing some of his senses. "Well, anyways, I'm not gonna let you in. Not when you seem so damn suspicious."

There were only a handful, so they weren't there for a massive invasion. They were scouting. He'd been around enough marine bases to know a small group was usually not for starting a war, but sneaking in of performing an assassination.

"Nomu, attack him," Hand-Guy said. Ace had noticed it before, but could tell it wasn't human. At least, it was some kind of beast. And it was strong, but an arm. The guy he was talking to was the head.

The nomu flew at him, but Ace coated his hand in haki, as thick and hard as he could, and punched it in the head, on the exposed brain. It exploded outwards and landed on the ground, the entire head a bloody mess of mush. He looked at his own hand in disgust.

The small group of villains looked horrified. "Is that the best one you have?" he asked, not sounding taunting, just a bit disappointing.

"Who. Are. You?!" Hand-Guy shouted, seeming pretty furious.

"I already told you. I'm just passing by. I don't care much about the politics going on here, or why you are villains, but I'm tied to this school for now, and I'd rather you not hurt anyone here," he said with a cheeky grin. He turned to the side to see Eraser Head, Midnight and the other pro-hero teachers who lived there.

"Ace, what is going on?!" Eraser Head shouted.

Ace simply said there were people wishing to intrude, and released the fire at the entrance, giving the heroes full view of the villains. Ace reformed the fire wall once they stepped out. But, the group of them suddenly disappeared into a blackish-purple vortex. The nomu was still there, dead with it's brain splattered everywhere.

"You can release the wall," Ectoplasm said. Ace knew they were gone, sensing them no more, so he let down the wall. "What happened here?" Ace dropped down from the wall. And explained that he'd come over and saw some creepy people that he didn't let in.

Ace poked the thing's body with his foot. "This thing showed up, they seemed pretty confident in it. All they did was demand who I was, didn't give me any reason why they were here. Don't worry, my fire didn't damage anything," Ace said and his stomach growled. "I'm sure All Might is on his way, so I'm gonna go try and get something to eat," he said casually.

Midnight asked, "Why did you protect the school? You have no tie to it," she pointed out. Ace turned and smiled.

"Everyone's been pretty nice to me here. Why would I let their place get trashed or harmed? Plus, fighting with the kids was pretty fun. I'm not a hero, but dead kids aren't good in any case," he said simply.

He walked inside, passing All Might, who looked worried and stopped in front of Ace. "Did you light the fire?"

Ace nodded, saying it hadn't damaged anything. "There were some shady guys wanting in, so I blocked them." All Might nodded and ran to the other pro-heroes.

Well, he sure had an entertaining story to give his family. Maybe this world was more interesting than he thought. Even if he considered himself a neutral party here, he protected people he cared about. All Might had helped him from the start, so he wasn't about to repay his constant kindness by letting a place and many people special to him get damaged or killed.

He may be a pirate, but Ace was not heartless. He headed inside to the empty cafeteria.

Jozu was going to tease him about this. Protecting many people he didn't care about personally. Well, he was a pirate but not a villain. Well, to the marines he was, but fuck the marines.

-x-

Two hours later, he was sleeping in the middle of a meeting he was supposed to speak in. It only lasted three minutes before he woke up. Everyone was glaring at him. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry," he said in humiliation. "I have narcolepsy and it gives me sleep attacks sometimes. I'm fine now. I promise," he swore, face bright red. But they moved on.

It was a room full of costumed people he didn't know. They all knew each other but Ace was just sitting in a chair at the back of a huge table. "Ace, what happened?" Nezu asked. They turned to Ace, who started fiddling with his beaded necklace.

"I slept outside, since the room was too muggy, and when I woke up I walked to the wall for no real reason, just wanted to walk aroun. I saw creepy guys trying to get through the gate, so I put a fire wall up. Not much happened, they just asked who I was and got pissed when I beat up their beast-monster. I didn't give them any personal information.

"I was just in the right place at the right time I guess," he explained. "He called the beast a 'nomu'. It was really strong, but I put it out pretty quickly. They gave me no reason why they were there or what their plan was." He was done with his story, and the pro-heros started talking about protecting the kids, hunting down who the villains were, and Ace was uncomfortable.

Sure, he was used to meetings as a commander, but he knew almost nobody here. Only All Might, really. There was another man, who was tall, wearing a suit and with glasses and black hair who was eyeing Ace, and it made him sweat a bit.

"Ace, why did you protect the school?" a guy wearing what looked like pants all the way up to his nose asked. Man, Thatch and Haruta would find him hilarious. Well, he had something else funny to talk about.

"Well, I live here right now. All Might's a nice guy and the kids I fought with all seemed good. Who wants dead children?" Ace asked. "I'm not a hero, I just did what I thought was the right thing to do at the moment," he finished.

Nezu said, "Well it is true he is not a pro-hero. You may leave, Ace."

"O-" and then he was back on his bed, no All Might in sight. He sighed and grinned, jumping up and finding Marco again. "Maaarrrcccooo!" he screamed and jumped his brother. "I missed you again!" Marco pushed him off, and Ace was blubbering.

"Whoa, Ace calm down. Where'd All Might go? I was going to do a check up and he wasn't there," Marco said in annoyance.

Ace said he had disappeared with Ace, going back to the other world. "Soooo much stuff happened this time, oh my GOD," Ace said. "I gotta tell everyone!" and he went running around, shouting for people to come if they wanted to hear a cool story. Some gathered and Ace stood on Pops' knee, who found the situation funny.

Well, All Might had a lot of explaining to do, unless he popped right back only moments after he'd left, like it had seemed to do this way. He was gone for three days, and it had only been a couple moments here. He didn't miss anything, thankfully.

"It was crazy, guys. First, I got all this praise for helping All Might when it wasn't even me who did it -and he'd doing well, Marco. No complications- so that was annoying. But then I don't have to guard the wall anymore, and I got to help train the kids.

"My god children there are weak. They're all fifteen, but the time I was fifteen I was fucking king of the jungle! And these brats don't know what they're doing! And they look down on _my_ childhood even though they can't do shit…"

Then he resumed. "Anyways, I beat their asses as training. I was given a new room instead of sleeping in the back of the infirmary anymore. I missed everyone so much. I wished you guys were there to see me fight all these different power users. I kept thinking about you guys, but it was a good distraction.

"But this morning, there, that is, I was walking along the wall of the campus when I found some shady dudes trying to get in the school. I used my firewall and that sure made them pissy. It was funny, they kept getting mad at me, especially since I one-shotted their pet monster!" Haruta and Thatch cheered. "Then they ran off. I had to go to this boring meeting and I fucking fell asleep in the middle of it. It's not funny! They were all glaring at me! But I told them why I protected the school. I mean, it has a bunch of kids. I know I am and we are pirates, but who wants to help hurt or kill children, right?

"Then I was back. And now here I am," Ace finished. Thatch and Haruta, his closest brothers, were clapping at his story and accomplishments.

Thatch lamented that he didn't get to go. "I don't want to bring anyone else. They're suspicious enough about me there already, bringing random people with me wouldn't be good. But I did wish you were there," Ace said with a bright grin.

Marco smiled. "Well, you're back for now, and that's what matters. Thatch, make Ace breakfast." Thatch said it was after lunch. "Don't you want to cook him a welcome home meal?"

"Yes! Of course!" Ace ran inside to spend time with Thatch while he cooked, talking enthusiastically with him. Thatch asked to know more about All Might while he cooked Ace bacon, sausages and pancakes.

The youngest said, "He's a nice guy, and I'm glad Marco fixed him up. He shows me respect and trust, which is nice. You know, since I'm a leader and then suddenly I'm nobody and have no power. He doesn't treat me like one of his students anymore, which I'm appreciating.

"I wonder what the situation is gonna be when I get back. If I do. Maybe the universe will take my good deed as payment and gift me with never going back," he said hopefully. Thatch asked if he would miss it. "No. I mean, it's not so bad when I'm there, I guess. But it's lonely. I don't know anyone there well. I can't be myself. Nobody knows I'm a pirate. That place is really big on the "good and evil" thing. Having me be a wanted criminal wouldn't be very good news there."

Thatch looked concerned, too. What if Ace becomes an enemy there? "I'm not gonna do anything stupid, Thatch. If something happens it's just bad to cross them while being there. I'm never gonna become a villain. I'm already a pirate, but like to think of myself as a good person who does bad things.

"I would never lower myself to being a villain like those there. But I also don't want to be one of their 'heroes'. Can you believe they get in trouble if they fight off villains? They have to have permission!" Ace exclaimed, not understanding how anyone dealt with that, having their powers so restricted in that way.

Thatch served him his food and replied, "Well, that world is more organized, right? So less crime and violence would be best. Our world is rough, kill or be killed, right?" Ace nodded, thinking that was a good point. He was comparing two completely separate worlds, governments, ways of life.

Still, he didn't want to be restricted. Well, hopefully he'd be fine as long as he didn't do anything dangerous. He wasn't a kid who didn't have control of his powers or was immature. He was an adult now. Sure, he was still immature sometimes, but he was a commander, had been for three years, and that came with a dose of responsibility and seriousness. He could do that easily, switching from his laughing and pranking times.

He loved being able to do both. He enjoyed his time with Thatch as they talked about things other than the separate world only Ace could visit. But, it didn't take long for that topic to come back. "Thatch, does it bother you when I go missing? Does it show? I've only been gone from hours to minutes when it's been days to me."

Thatch frowned. "I think it's different for us. You aren't gone long enough for it to really sink in that you're gone. I'm sorry, it sounds heartless. We worry about you when you leave, but we have high hope that you won't be long. I am glad we don't miss you long, but I do feel bad for not understanding your pain. I'm sorry, we're sorry," Thatch said, reaching over the counter and putting his hand on Ace's shoulder.

Ace nodded, understanding how they felt. "I'm glad I'm not missing anything, but I'm just depressed when I get back there, having just been with everybody. I want to stay here," he lamented, putting his head on the cool counter. Thatch rubbed his back.

Then Marco came in with Pops, heading straight for Ace. "Ace, we're thinking of a possible way to stop all of this. Make you stay home indefinitely," Marco said, making Ace perk up and sit up straight again, eyes wide. "This all started cause you walked into that cave. We can have you try and walk back in to stop it, or we can try destroying it to stop it from affecting you." Ace's face lit up, but not too long before Pops spoke.

"There may be some serious downsides to that. You could get stuck in the other world. Or it may just hurt you. I think we should wait a while to see if it ends naturally," Pops said seriously. "It will be a long time, son, but for now you have hope for it to stop.

"Since time moves there slower than here, it will take a long time. We are at least six weeks away from there. So far, you've spent less time in that world, but time moves slower while you're gone here. We still know little about the time difference, so that will have to be taken into account.

"But, we have an outline of a plan, and we will head to that island as soon as possible. Okay?" Ace grinned nodded, feeling so much better with having a plan. "We need to stop at the next island for supplies and to restock, but after that, we will backtrack and do our best to fix this mess, and keep you where you belong. With your family," Pops finished, face soft and kind at the end.

Ace sniffled, but was smiling. "Having a plan will make me feel so much better now. I finally feel hope," he said with a sigh. Thatch said they'd do everything they could to return things back to normal and resume their adventure. Ace nodded, and Pops walked forward to hug him.

"I'm proud of you, son. You are handling this well. Though I know it must be scary to be in a different world, you have behaved well," he praised, and Ace blushed. Marco and Thatch laughed. Soon, more people were there for dinner, and Ace was still hungry. The commanders all talked to him about things other than the big topic. They were all excited to try the plan and get Ace back to normal.

They were worried about anything happening to him on the other side. Where they couldn't get him back ever again. "Don't worry, I'm strong there. Nobody has haki and all of their powers seem to have weaknesses. I think devil fruits are much better. My only weaknesses are haki, water and seastone. I did research in the library on minerals, and there was nothing named seastone or looking like it. They don't have haki, so my only weakness is water. And it's not an island, so I should be safe from drowning.

"I have told All Might about the water weakness, so I have somebody to save me if something happens. I trust the guy," Ace explained. The others didn't look mad at him for revealing a weakness anyone could use. Haki and seastone were out of the picture, so Ace was invincible to any blunt attacks.

Plus, his fire could keep people at a distance from him. He didn't know all the quirks, since they weren't filed or known in a book like devil fruits were. The fire guy, Endeavor, had weaknesses Ace didn't have.

While in his home world, he would have competed to be the best fire user, he wasn't in that world to protect anyone or compete. He didn't care about being stronger than the number 2 hero. If he had to be there for a long time, he'd probably just chill on the campus.

He hated to admit it, but he was wary and nervous, almost afraid, of venturing out into the different world. Someplace new was fun to explore, like unknown islands, but the other world was so different and he didn't trust anybody but the staff of the school. He would feel so much better about leaving campus by going with one of his brothers. Maybe All Might, but it would still be stressful and he has a job he has to do.

Ace did wonder why he went from being the number 1 hero to a teacher. Teaching had to be much more boring than doing whatever he wanted with his powers. Well, what he wanted was to save people, and he obviously took joy in that. But then he remembered that he had been terminally injured. Would he go back to hore work once school was over? Ace was told that they had breaks during the year.

Ace was overjoyed to spend a whole two weeks with his family, the longest time he'd gone yet. What if… what if this was it? That the last time had been the _last._ For good? He tried not to get his hopes up, but he couldn't help doing it. He was scolded by Marco, though, to not get his hopes up. "Whether you go back or not, we still have a plan that we will carry out. Don't worry, Ace. We can function fine without you if you stay longer. You don't need to worry about us in any way okay?"

Ace looked down, and then up to Pops, who was connected to his machines. Marco gave a sly smile. "I've been giving him blood from me to try and heal him. He already is doing better with breathing. I _will_ use my powers to help him," Marco said quietly. Ace grinned and asked how he was doing it. "Disguising one of the bags as his usual medicine as it isn't a clear bag or clear tube."

Ace laughed, calling him a sneaky traitor. Going against Pops' will. "I am not a traitor for helping him, dumbass," he said, hitting Ace on the side of his head, making the younger laugh. He went inside and then disappeared at the wrong moment. He'd walked into a trap, and was now covered in blue paint, dripping down his face and onto his chest.

"Damn it," he hissed, balling his fists. He took a few deep breaths and stood up. He knew burning paint was no-no from firsthand experience. He didn't know how long it had been since the last time he was here, but walked inside, trying not to drip paint, and found Midnight eating. It was early, based on her food.

"Hey, Midnight. I'm back again," Ace said quietly. "How long has it been?"

"Ace! Wha- why are you covered in paint? And it's been three days," she said, looking over the blue covered Ace.

Ace sighed and said, "I walked into a trap from my brother. They like to play pranks. How did the meeting end? Did I need to be there at all, was my timing bad?" Ace wondered. Midnight handed him a napkin that he dried his face with, even though he was still covered in paint.

Midnight said, "Why don't you get cleaned off, first? Go take a shower and some new clothes?" Ace nodded, knowing he couldn't sit anywhere without getting paint there. Luckily, it was dripping down his chest and into his shorts, and not onto the floor.

He hoped he didn't run into anybody on the way, holding his hat so paint didn't get on it. He was pretty much unrecognizable besides his clothes. His tattoos were hidden by the thick, dark blue paint and his face was hard to make out. Plus, his hair was flat to his head.

"Ace-san!" All Might called, and Ace turned around to see him looking both confused and entertained. "It's good to have you back." He didn't address the paint, so Ace did.

"My brothers set a trap. They like to use paint for pranks. I'm going to go wash off before talking to anyone. Where is the nearest shower?" he asked, trying to wipe the paint out of his eyes. All Might said he'd walk him there and they would get him new shorts before. Ace was glad there were no kids there. They would find it hilarious.

They saw Present Mic there, who started laughing at Ace covered in paint, who glared at him. "How the hell did that happen?!"

Ace sighed. "My brothers aren't the most mature."

"Ah, kids'll be that way!" Ace snorted, and replied that the one who did this was in his forties. It made Present Mic laugh louder. "I thought your world was rugged and rough." Ace pointed out that it didn't mean they never had fun or joked around.

They went to Ace's room and got a new pair of shorts, Ace leaving his hat there to go take a shower. He knew he still was going to have paint crusted into his hairline since it was drying already. When he came out, he looked paint free besides it under his fingernails. "So, what happened after I left? Was everybody mad?" Ace wondered.

All Might looked contemplating for a moment. "While the pro-heroes are grateful for your help, they want you to stay on campus. I didn't explain too much about your world, but I did tell them about your fire powers and the two types of haki. But, since we don't know much about you as a person, they want you to stay here. I'm sorry," All Might explained.

Well, Ace wasn't bothered. "I mean, that was my plan the whole time. I never planned on leaving, don't know anything else about the world," Ace replied. He was glad he hadn't told anybody about his conqueror's haki. He was able to use it in a stressful situation, but over all, it wasn't fun to use. It drained him a bit if he wasn't pumped full of adrenaline. Adrenaline kept sleep attacks away, which was why he rarely fell asleep during a fight.

"Still, I feel like you'd get bored," All Might replied. Ace just said he wasn't bored helping the guy out with his classes. "It is good and surprising that they accepted you helping me with training. They trust me to watch over you. Keep you 'in check'," the pro-hero explained. Ace was glad he was still able to do that.

Ace asked what had happened since he was gone, if the bad guys had done anything else. "We haven't seen any activity that is suspicious, nothing out of the ordinary with villains. You may have scared them off. We did testing on the nomu, and it's body seemed incredibly durable. It was right to go for the brain."

"That's good. It felt pretty powerful. But still, one haki punch to the head killed it, so I may be wrong. But, I don't think so," Ace said, thinking. "It definitely wasn't as strong as Pops or Marco, but it was pretty strong for this world."

All Might said that haki would be quite helpful there. "No, it wouldn't. All the villains would have even more advantages. Besides, our world needs it just to survive, not to have just the upper hand. "I can wish for it personally, but as a whole, I don't think it would be good for your world. There are only a small percentage of people with devil fruits at home. Here, almost everyone has some sort of power," Ace explained. All Might nodded. Ace was glad the man no longer treated him as a kid. Ace wasn't in his looks or power.

Ace expressed embarrassment for falling asleep during the meeting. "You don't have medication for the disorder?"

"We do, it just doesn't work on me. My fire burns any meds out of my system almost immediately," the commander replied. All Might commented that Ace seemed to be in a better mood today, and he smiled.

He said, "We have a plan about how to make me stay home permanently. To destroy the portal I went through that caused all of this. It's the only lead we've got. Will take a while to get there, so I might be here a long time. Don't know how long, but I hope not too long." All Might said that he'd been very helpful and was a nice young man.

Ace thanked him, saying he was glad at least one person respected him as an authority figure, even if he wasn't one here.


	7. USJ

#### Carimes_treehouse: You'll just have to wait and see. ;)

#### Adamari2001: Oh I'm so happy for you! I'm sure that's a huge relief. I'm still glad my fic helped you even a little bit. 

#### Violet_violence: I'm sure I have many typos even after editing. I especially miss when I mean "by" it turns into "but". But I don't always catch them. so there will be typos. 

**Hiss_Hiss: Ace is a badass and shows it off in many chapters. Including this one!**

**Asl_Lover: I can just picture Thatch going with him and ruining everything by just getting people's faces, breaking things he finds are interesting and don't know how to use, laughing loudly, swearing, getting drunk and having a pary. Lol it would be hilarious.**

* * *

**This was a super fun chapter to write. I now have five completed stories to post, with two of them edited. So since some of my current stories will be wrapping up at the same time, I'll have more to replace. Enjoy~**

* * *

"Um, Ace? You said you learned hand to hand combat first, right?" Freckles asked after class, where Ace just threw balls at the kids and then had to dodge. He didn't go easy, again. He threw the balls so hard they knocked people feet behind where they had been. But he always aimed for the part of their stomach that would do no damage. Not the face or limbs.

"That's right," Ace replied while he carried the big crate of heavy balls above his head. "Why do you ask?"

He fidgeted and said, "Well, the teachers don't have time to tutor all the time. All Might is busy a lot of the time, and the others have classes and duties. So I was wondering if you'd tutor me sometime? My quirk is almost impossible to use right now, so I think it was a good idea to learn combat without my power at first." His face was red, and Ace agreed.

"Sounds fun," Ace commented. "How about after school is over? I'm not allowed to leave campus, so it'd be here somewhere." Freckles grinned and thanked him. He asked why he wasn't allowed to leave campus, sounding bothered by it. "Pro-heroes probably don't trust me, since I'm powerful but aren't exactly here to become a great member of society. Being a hero just isn't my thing."

Freckles asked another question. "You don't like using your powers for good, helping people?"

"Nope. I do what I want. I'll help who I want, but not complete strangers. Things don't work like that at home. Not even the marines protect and save people. They bow down to tyrannical nut jobs who keep slaves and are allowed to burn islands down and kill whoever they want," Ace said simply. Freckles gasped. "So, it's either for the marines, or against them. I chose the latter, not wanting to follow rules that would make me do anything I didn't want to."

"So, you fight the marines? The government?"

Ace said, "Sometimes. It's not my goal to take marines down or anything. I just want to be the freest person I can be. So, I have no desire to be a hero," Ae finished. "How about I meet you out on this field at 3:30?"

Freckles didn't seem bothered by Ace not wanting to be a hero, but more about how corrupt the government was. "Don't tell anyone about what I said. They might get the wrong idea about me." Freckles nodded, promising he wouldn't, and then hurried off to his next class while Ace put the crate in the correct room with equipment for class.

"Was that fine? To help out Freckles?"

All Might nodded. "Don't go too hard on him the first time." Ace promised he wouldn't.

At 3:30, he was waiting on the field, lying on his back with his arms behind his head. He really wondered why nobody had said a thing about the jolly roger tattoo. Especially the adults. Did pirates just never exist here? He hadn't heard the word once, so he hoped they didn't and never had existed. But All Might had recognized the jolly roger. It was strange and confusing, but as long as nobody else found out, he'd be fine.

Freckles ran over in his gym outfit, backpack on. He dropped it far from Ace. Ace stood up and Freckles looked nervous. "I'm not gonna go hard, just give you tips and help with the movements," Ace assured him.

"First thing first in this world. Don't get into a fist fight unless you have to. And if there's no other choice, you should be the first to hit. If you don't, your opponent will have the upper hand from the start," Ace started.

He gave him helpful tips that Ace had been taught by his crew or had learned as a kid. He moved Freckle's arms in slow motion for how he should be punching or kicking. Where to kick that wouldn't hurt you, like the front of the shin or the toe of your foot. "Since you already seem to break your body all the time, it doesn't mean you'll always be around Recovery Girl."

Ace did his best, and showed Freckles how to swipe under legs, and stomp their crotch or face depending on the gender. "Kicking the nuts is always a good move," Ace said simply. Freckles did get sore from Ace pinning him to the ground and moving his arms in ways they hadn't before.

It was sunset by the time Ace thought Freckles had had enough. "Quiz time," Ace said, and asked him the main points Ace had told him. He aced it. "Nice! You did pretty good. When you do learn to use your quirk, if you use hand to hand as well, you won't just need to kick or punch. You could throw someone, slam them into the ground, break their bones.

"I know it sounds violent, but don't heroes fight villains for others?" Freckles nodded, looking extremely happy. "Well, depending on how long I last this time, I guess I'll see you tomorrow in class? I also recommend you learn about joints so you know weak spots to take advantage of."

Freckles grinned at him. "Thank you! I really appreciate it! I'll write everything down to memorize," he vowed.

Ace replied, "Don't just read. My brother told me drawing step by step for something helps. And practice the moves by yourself. Think of them until they become muscle memory." Freckles nodded and bowed to him.

"Can we do this again?" he asked nervously, losing the grin, but it came right back when Ace said he was fine with that, in two days in case he was sore. Freckles got his backpack and ran off, exuding happiness and excitement. Ace knew he was one of those who had the most useless quirk right now, as he couldn't use it at all without breaking bones. He'd read about when he had fought the robots in the entrance exam.

It sounded so fun. It would have turned into a massive competition with his family. Thatch was gonna make fun of him for helping a random kid he barely knew. Well, if he was going to be stuck here and unable to go anywhere else, why not make the best of his time?"

The next day, Ace just watched while the kids sparred, this time without their powers. Without their powers, many were much weaker. He looked forward to seeing Freckles fight, just to see if he'd learned anything. He didn't expect him to, as it had only been one session and one day.

The one who was the best of them so far was Kirishima since his quirk already used hand to hand combat with punching and kicking. Ace was sitting on the grass a bit away, watching and looking lazy.

When Freckles came up, he looked determined, and was with Bakugo. Bad match up, they seemed to hate each other. Even Ace could tell that and he'd seen them only a handful of times. Freckles seemed to want to be friends with the guy, and Ace couldn't understand why. With him and Luffy, Lufy tried to be his friend because he had no one else at first. Here, there were plenty of kids to be friends with, and Freckles did have friends.

The fight was evenly matched, though Bakugo went for more obvious punches and kicks while Freckles defected them, swiping his foot under Bakugo before he kicked him in the crotch (not too hard, just enough to surprise him) and then turned him over and pinned him down. Bakugo was furious, and Freckles walked back to the group, everyone completely shocked.

The kid's eyes glanced to Ace, who gave a smile and wink. "And the winner is young Midoriya. Good work, both of you."

As soon as class was over, everyone demanded to know how Midoriya suddenly was able to fight. He sputtered, "Y-YouTube videos." Ace snickered, though he didn't know what youtube was.

All Might said, "You're a good mentor. He had confidence he hadn't had before. What did you say to him?" Ace shrugged, saying he gave some tips he'd learned from, and had told him to draw everything he'd learned and study joints so he can someday take advantage of that as well.

"His quirk is a goddamn mess. I can't believe it's broken his bones. Recovery Girl isn't always gonna be there. You have to fight like if you lose you'll be completely incapacitated. I think he gets that after the entrance exam I read about," Ace said and then gave a small smile. "This is a good way to pass time. I was back home for two weeks, so I don't know how long I'll be here this time."

All Might clapped his shoulder. "Even though you scare some of the kids, you are pretty likeable."

Ace laughed, saying that wasn't always the case, but he was a better person than he was when he was a kid. He walked inside, as class was over, to get something to eat. Ace did work with class 1-B, but they weren't nearly as interesting as class 1-A. But, he still did his best, just didn't smile as much.

When he wasn't helping All Might out, Ace explored the campus, sneaking around the grounds where fighting was. It would be a great place to train, and he knew he had to keep in shape since he wouldn't be sparring with his brothers multiple times a week, or fighting all out against marines and pirates.

He went to a wrecked, cement town place, not remembering its name, and ran through it, jumping from roof to roof, going as fast as he could, and then went to climbing stairs, jumping from another building and climbing those stairs. After that, he did one handed handstand pushups, 20,000 of them, and then crunches with a weight on his chest. Then he got to push ups with a huge chunk of cement on his back as he did so. He did another 20,000 of them, before jogging back to campus, soaking in sweat.

He walked inside and passed Ectoplasm. "Training?"

Ace nodded. "The broken building area is a great training area. Don't worry, I didn't break anything," Ace assured, and then went to shower all of the sweat off. It was weird using individual bathrooms instead of one bathhouse. He dressed in his shorts instead of the gym shorts he'd been given and never wore, and then went to take a long nap. Kids were all in class, so nobody saw him covered in sweat and red in the face. Even if he was made of fire, when keeping himself solid under pressure like he did, even he got tired.

When he got up, it was for dinner. He walked through the halls, able to tell the building was pretty empty, meaning there were no students. Nobody was eating in the cafeteria, so he was left alone to eat as much as he wanted. He missed Thatch's cooking. Damnit, the sadness was back. But, they had a plan. This wouldn't last forever. That thought made him feel better, but still missed their company.

The loudness of the galley, everyone having almost zero manners and just stuffing their faces. He looked down at the ramen, and clenched his fist around the fork, breaking it in half. "Damnit," he muttered, heating up his hand and fusing it back together. Well, it was ruined now. Oh well, they had a billion more to use.

He looked out the window, no more appetite. He threw the food away, including the broken fork, and put the spoon and bowl in the sink. He left and headed to his room to sleep or mope, whichever.

He ran into Cementoss, someone he hadn't spoken to much, since he rarely spoke in general whenever Ace was around him. "Ace, you have to find All Might early tomorrow morning. Earlier than normal," and then he walked away.

Didn't even wait for him to give a reply. "Okay," he said, but didn't know if the teacher heard him. He headed back to his room, changing again and sleeping under the covers this time, not going outside. He felt like being under blankets and not on itchy grass.

When he got up, All Might was the one to find him, not the other way around. "Eat up, Ace-san, we have a big day ahead of us!" he said cheerfully. Always cheerfully. Ace wished he could be like that here. He wiped the sleep out of his eyes, stretched and agreed. He went downstairs to eat quickly as All Might looked impatient. Not angrily, but more like he was excited.

After putting his dishes away, All Might told him what they were going to do for the day. "Sadly, you will not take part in today's activities. It's been planned far before you arrived. It's an exercise that will teach our young ones how to rescue people from wrecks and natural disasters. No fighting is needed," he explained. Ace nodded, hiding a pout.

"Can I at least watch?" he asked. If he couldn't, he'd be both bummed and bored. All Might nodded, saying that the entire ceiling was made of glass,so he'd have a good view. "Thanks!" After all, falling off of the building would do nothing to hurt him.

Ace was outside waiting for the kids by the bus they'd be taking who were being briefed on what would happen that day. He already knew about it. When the kids did come out, they had their costumes on, and it was only _just now_ that Ace saw the similarities in Freckles' and All Might's images. He held in a chuckle. Maybe Freckles saw All Might as Luffy saw Shanks. Though Luffy never copied Shanks' image.

When they came out, they all headed to the bus, with Eraser Head as well. "Is there room on the bus or I can sit on the roof of the bus and be fine." Eraser Head counted how many people were inside.

"Stay on the roof. Don't fall off," he said in his bored voice. Ace said okay and jumped on the roof of the bus, laying down on his back so there would be zero chance of wind resistance. They got there pretty quickly, Ace just paying attention to the clouds. When the bus stopped, Ace walked off to not be a distraction.

He headed to the building and jumped up, climbing to the top of the dome. Thirteen didn't acknowledge him at all, already knowing they'd have a spectator. He couldn't hear what was being said from up there, but did look down and see the massive area with a bunch of different sections.

Ace thought, in his world, if this happened, one of the areas would be swarming with sea kings. That would be a fun challenge. He moped, thinking all of this looked fun. He wished he could take part, but he wasn't very good at rescuing, but causing more damage. So, he wouldn't be good at this exercise.

The thing had barely started before he sensed presences that weren't supposed to be there. He punched a hole in the glass ceiling. "ERASER HEAD! VILLAINS!" he screamed, voice echoing loudly, he pointed to the area he could feel them coming before they appeared. A black void that they'd seen before.

Hand-Guy came out, along with at least another hundred people. And a nomu. This one was stronger than the other. But Ace had a good idea, he just had to get close for it to work. He dropped down and landed in front of the students. "Thirteen, can I help?" he asked, shoulders already on fire.

"Yes," Thirteen said simply. He wasn't going to rush in, wanting to come up with a strategy, try to gauge who was strongest besides the nomu. God, he hoped his plan worked. If it didn't, he'd punch it in the brain again. Hopefully that would work.

He walked next to Eraser Head. "How can I help?" he asked.

"Try to focus on the nomu. Take anyone out you need to get there. That thing is bad news and you already defeated one of them." Ace nodded, watching the nomu carefully to see where it would go. Ideally, Hand-Guy wouldn't be near it. He knew the creep was strong, and didn't know what his quirk was. Other than being damn creepy. Those hands… Those were ridiculous.

"Permission to kill?" Ace asked, not knowing if he'd get in trouble.

"No, incapacitate or heavily wound. Only kill the nomu," he said. Ace slowly walked forward, fire hands out, looking terrifying. He was trying to, wearing an evil smirk, making sure it didn't show to the kids. A few backed up but Ace started sprinting. Maybe the nomu would come to him.

He punched out the first one, breaking his cheek and teeth with a haki covered fist before torching her legs, moving to the next one, kicking his nuts and then bending his head down to knee his face with a haki covered knee, he was out.

He fought like he was surrounded by pirates, unable to stop the grin. Fighting was a joy, especially when he didn't know what to expect. He had to be quick on his feet. All Might wasn't there yet, Ace didn't know where he was.

But, with him fully healed, he could fight better now than before. Probably. Hopefully. He was strong during their last fight when he was ill, so he would be stronger now. He just hoped he'd come soon. Ace wasn't paying attention to Eraser Head, fighting on his own, but there seemed to just be endless amounts of them even though no more were coming from the portal.

"Fire fist!" he shouted, and blasted a huge plume of fire at the nearest group, making them scream until he released it, all of them burned enough to not be able to move. Then he saw the vortex guy move, and felt his presence behind him, at the students. Ace lifted his hand and formed a fire wall around the students, giving them a ring to stay safe in.

But that didn't matter as the vortex guy walked right through it. Ace released the fire wall, and cursed when he saw the students scatter. "ACE! Nomu!"

Hand-Guy saw him. "Nomu, get him, now! Bring him here, render him close to death!" He was really pissed about the last time. "We're taking him!" He could hear the craziness in his voice. And Ace was about to piss him off _more._

When the nomu ran at him, everyone else fled. Ace stood his ground, and he heard students telling him to run from the distance. When the nomu was close, Ace's pupils dilated and he sent out a strong wave of conqueror's haki, making the mindless beast follow any sort of fear instincts it still had deep down.

Ace smirked. "Nomu, attack your own people. Especially _him,"_ Ace said strongly and pointed to the guy. "After that, rip out your own brain!" The nomu turned around, and the battlefield went quiet before the beast sprinted to the nearest villain and injured them beyond recovery, since Ace had not said "kill".

"What?!" Hand-Guy shouted. "Nomu, stop!" It didn't, and made a roaring sound as it leapt after him. He had to run. Ace grinned and ran off to save some kids. The nomu would take care of his share of villains. He had sent off a strong enough wave that it would last a while. Eraser Head looked shocked when Ace ran past him "Don't get distracted!" Ace shouted as he ran towards the nearest area, the rocky one. He jumped down to see the kids fighting their own, but still outnumbered, and blasted a fire fist at all of them, making the villains shriek in pain and the three kids scream in fear.

"Guys, do not leave the fire circle!" he shouted once they realized that the fire wasn't burning them, and Ace made a fire curled around them, fifteen feet. He didn't want to admit it, but using the haki had taxed him.

Finally, he heard people shout All Might's name. _Finally!_ Where the fuck had he been? He was talking, angry, but Ace wasn't hearing him, taking out as many villains as he could and leaving their legs or arms inpaired. He was not told to keep them healthy, he was told to keep them alive. Missing a couple arms or legs didn't mean they died. Especially since the fire cauterized their wounds and kept them from bleeding out.

The portal man had left the front, going to save Hand-Guy, who was still being chased by the traitorous nomu. He was in a vortex, and the nomu paused, it's mission confused. "Nomu! Do it!" Ace screamed.

All Might had been heading towards it when it dug its claws into its own head and ripped its brain out, killing it instantly. He felt bad he'd taken that from All Might, but what had he expected? He wasn't there.

Ace made another fire circle around another group before he reached the ice zone. Todoroki seemed to have it under control. "Do you need help?" Ace asked, hiding his fatigue.

"No." Ace nodded and told him to stay there. "All Might is here now, you did a good job," Ace said, and sprinted to the next group. But suddenly the portal guy was in front of him and hang-guy came out.

"I'm going to kill you!" he roared, definitely having lost his cool. Ace didn't know his power and saw that he was going to grab his arm, so he covered it in haki. Whatever was supposed to happen, didn't. "What are you?"

Ace said, "A _pirate_ ," quietly, smiling sadistically before he punched the guy in the face so hard he was knocked unconscious, only the vortex guy caught him, and they were gone. A few of his hand things had fallen off. The villains screamed about the leader leaving him. He reminded them of bad pirates who would abandon their crewmates.

The villains that weren't already out due to the kids being pretty strong and hadn't been taken out by Ace, All Might or Eraser Head surrendered. So many were screaming and crying over the wounds that they had gotten, most of the more gruesome ones from Ace. But he was fire, what did they expect? For him to go easy?

He released the fire walls protecting the kids and stumbled forward, absolutely exhausted, but happy with the fight. It was awesome, he rarely fought in such a large area. "Ace-san!" All Might said, hurrying over. "Are you alright?"

Ace nodded. "Need to sleep," he said, and fell unconscious. How embarrassing, but using the haki had taken a lot out of him. He rarely used it as it was uncomfortable, and cheating. He only used it this time because it was on an animal, not just taking out people who he could have fought.

* * *

**Ace's haki reigns supreme! He continues to troll Shigaraki in the future lol.**


	8. Outside of UA For a Bit

**Asl_Lover: It was fun making Ace a little shit when he wasn't supposed to be.**

**Adamari2001: Thank you! I'm glad it wasn't disappointing. It's easier to write long conversations more than long fight scenes lol.**

**Ferna52: He fights the LoV some more and it was super fun to write. Compared to some of the enemy crews (most of them) in one piece, the league of villains is embarrassing lol.**

**Otaku_Girl2176: Thank you!**

**Trying_To_Be_Happy: Bridge? What do you mean?**

* * *

**We got some Ace and All Might scenes in this one. Enjoy~**

* * *

When he woke up, he was in a bed. Not his own bed, he noticed quickly. A hospital one, again. He sat up, having a splitting headache. "Ace, you're awake," Recovery Girl said. Ace nodded, asking what had happened after he passed out. If everyone was okay. He hoped nobody thought he was a hero now. He just didn't want the kids to get hurt, and wanted to have some fun. The fight was fun.

"Most of the villains were rounded up, but the two instigators especaped. The children are a bit scratched up, but held their own alright. I don't know the details, but All Might said you fought very hard and to let you rest," the nurse said. Ace thanked her and sighed. He wished he'd woken up at home. Then Marco could take care of him. And Whiskey and Tami.

He did a scan for any pain on his body, but it was mostly just tired from the exertion even when he was becoming fatigued. He wouldn't be doing any fighting for a few days at least. But, he wasn't hurt. He hadn't come across anything that could hurt him. Well, unless he'd used haki of Hand-Guy. Something bad could have happened.

He coated his hand in it and had to compare it to devil fruits. It nullified quirks if he touched them with it. He put it in a fist and let it disappear. His stomach grumbled, and Recovery Girl said she was going to get some food for him, hurrying out of the room.

A few moments after she left, Eraser Head came out from his own room and stood next to Ace. He looked exhausted as well. "Good fight. I have some questions, though," he said bluntly. Ace knew he'd ask about the nomu. How he'd made it not only turn on its allies but kill itself on the spot.

"About the nomu?" Ace asked, rubbing his temples. Eraser Head nodded. "It was haki. I have one ability, fire. And then haki, which everyone can have in my world." He looked up. "The type of haki I use can tame wild beasts and bend them to your will. This one was easy. It wasn't an animal or a person, but it did respond.

"I rarely use that one. It makes me tired and feel like it's cheating," Ace finished.

Eraser Head asked if haki could be used against humans. Ace was going to be honest. He couldn't be caught lying. "It works differently for humans. It just knocks them out if their willpower is weak. I'm betting it wouldn't work easily on pro-heroes, but I'm not going to try," Ace replied.

Then the teacher asked why he thought it was cheating. "If I used it all the time, I wouldn't be fighting with my own strength. I'd just be knocking them out, which would be a waste. And it would also make me less able to fight. I couldn't use it more than once at a time even if I wanted to."

Recovery Girl came back with stew and bread. Ace ate it slowly, feeling so tired. "There will be a meeting with pro-heroes once you're feeling better." Ace nodded. "And thank you. You helped out a lot. Saved some of the kids and turned the tide of the battle." Ace smiled. "And you alerting me to their arrival saved precious seconds."

"Wasn't gonna let my friends die. And the fight was pretty fun," he said with a grin. Eraser Head shook his head, calling him a weird kid and to get some rest after eating. He did, finishing his food before going back, hoping to wake up back home.

But when he did, it was still at U.A. Well it had only been a few days since he got back. It had been two weeks at home, so he didn't expect to go back home on day three. He was hopeful, but not overly optimistic.

He sat up this time with no headache, and got out of bed. He was in pajama shorts but no shirt and put his boots on. He called anyone in the infirmary, but there was nobody. So he left the room, looking for strong presences since Eraser Head there was supposed to be a meeting with him. He hoped he wasn't in trouble for anything.

He found Midnight coming from the direction of the bathroom. "Oh, Ace! There's a meeting going on, I'll take you there. I heard the battle was pretty crazy." Ace nodded.

"There were some really strange looking people. Hand-Guy has to be one of the creepiest people I have ever met," Ace said conversationally, not knowing his name. His nickname was Hand-Guy. They arrived at the door Ace knew had the strong people in, and Midnight knocked, sliding the door open to show Ace.

He wasn't exactly the picture of strong and tough, in pajama pants and with bedhead. Maybe he should have dressed first. He just looked like a regular guy with some tattoos. Honestly, still no comment on his back tattoo. What the heck.

"Ace-san, please, take a seat," Ace nodded and sat next to All Might. "How are you feeling?" Ace answered that he was still a bit tired even though he slept for a while. He recognized a few faces in the room, but most of them he didn't. There was Endeavor, glaring at him (not that he expected anything else), Best Jeanist (haha…), Woods (a guy made of wood that he honestly didn't feel safe being around), Ryukyu, a woman with white hair, and an orca man.

Oh, and the guy who had glasses and looked like a boring guy. He was looking at Ace calculating again. He knew he didn't look the strongest right now. Oh well. One guy was made out of jeans up to his face, Ace could be in pajamas.

"Will you explain what happened for you since the beginning? We've interviewed Eraser Head and Thirteen, but there were no other adults but you before All Might arrived.

"Sure. I was on the roof watching the place since I wasn't able to go inside, and then I sensed some presence and told Eraser Head where they were. At least a hundred villains came out, and I started to fight them.

"I got distracted by the vortex guy going to the kids, so I tried to make a protective fire ring around them, but it didn't work and they all scattered. Eraser Head told me to take care of the nomu since I put one of them down the last time. Hand-Guy, the main villain I think, was angry at me for the last time I saw him, so he sent the nomu after me.

"I made him attack them and then kill itself, but it wasn't able to get Hand-Guy (I don't know they're actual names). The vortex guy left the kids to take the leader. Popped up behind me and tried to use his quirk. I didn't know what it was so I coated my arm in haki. His power didn't work. I knocked him out but he was taken away.

"After setting the nomu loose on the villains, I worked around trying to save the kids. After the villains gave up, I passed out from exhaustion. And that about sums it up," he finished, wondering how they'd react.

Orca-guy asked, "How old are you, Ace?" Ace replied that he was 22. "How long have you had your power?"

"Since I was seventeen," Ace answered. The others look surprised and almost impressed.

"So it isn't a quirk after all?" Ace looked to All Might, feeling uneasy.

He sighed and said, "I had to tell them the gist of the situation. They said they won't tell anybody else." The pro-heroes nodded in agreement. Ace sighed, but he couldn't exactly take the information out of their heads. At least he didn't have to tell another long story. Finally, the one staring at him asked him something.

"Are you the one that helped All Might when he needed it?" he asked. Ace couldn't tell what answer he wanted. And didn't not many people know about All Might's previous injury.

"My brother was. Back home, he healed him. He has regenerative powers, and can heal people with his fl- blood," Ace answered, again being honest. Someone asked if he healed many people. "No, he just heals people he cares about." Nobody disputed that, telling him it was wrong or selfish, which Ace was glad of. He didn't know how he'd react if Marco was insulted for not being their version of heroic.

The heroes were all sat down now, and Endeavor was still glaring at him. "Ace, you were instrumental in this battle and may have saved lives by taking out the nomu. We have some more questions about 'haki', but that will be later. You have no obligation to help, and are not a licensed hero, but you helped of your own free will and we truly appreciate that," Best Jeanist said. Ace gave a small smile, but didn't thank him.

They caught Ace up on the names of the main villains. Ace liked "Hand-Guy" better. It was easier to remember than Shigaraki. Kurogiri was vortex guy. The others were all non-important to them, not the leaders. "They identify as the League of Villains. We're sure they will grow," Best Jeanist said.

Ace didn't really know why he was there anymore. "While they seemed to have targeted All Might according to the confessions of their underlings, they might now hold a grudge against Ace, here. He might be in danger. So, like the students, we've decided to keep you safe on campus. Nezu has decided to make U.A. not only a high school, but a boarding school." Ace blinked twice. "It's a school where you live. Spend the night there," All Might said patiently. Ace nodded.

"That was the plan anyways. I was to stay here since I can't be trusted. I don't have a problem with it. I don't know a thing about anything here, so staying on campus is the smartest thing for me to do," Ace said in a simple voice.

"You don't want to work as a hero?" Endeavor asked, more like a challenge. Ace shook his head.

"I'm not interested in that stuff. Plus, I won't exactly be here often. I will be gone for varying amounts of time, depending on whatever happens. Even if I did want to be a hero, I wouldn't want to go through all that work only to go back home and never come again," Ace explained honestly. "My family already has a plan to get me back permanently. Don't know if it'll work or how long, but still."

A few of them looked disappointed or angry, but the others nodded in understanding. "That is understandable, considering this world is not your home, and you have no obligation to its people." Even though the guy looked ridiculous, Best Jeanist seemed like a nice dude.

Orca man spoke, "Are you prepared to ever be attacked again?" Ace nodded. Sounded fun to fight them again. But he didn't say that part. These people were all really worried, and if Ace said he looked forward to another fight… well, it'd look bad. "We will ask more about the haki another time. Eraser Head gave us a brief explanation." Ace nodded, knowing he was dismissed, and was heading to his room to get dressed and get his hat.

He passed a window with people doing construction work, and he wondered what it was for. Well, maybe dorms? The one Ace stayed in was old and dusty. And not nearly big enough for all of the kids. Well, Ace was glad he didn't need to live in the same place with them. He didn't need to be bombarded with questions and deal with loud, annoying kids.

Ace may like some of them and think they're entertaining, but he was no Thatch. He wouldn't go out of his way to "bond" with them when it wasn't for school work. Maybe he was heartless, but he wasn't going to make friends with a bunch of kids and then disappear. He could almost hear Thatch's whiny voice calling him cruel if he did such a thing.

He changed out of the pajama pants and into shorts, putting on all his accessories beside the dagger which he kept in one of the dresser drawers. He left through the window, dropping down and landing in the bushes. He looked at his fire in his hands, remembering the first time he'd eaten it with Deuce. He smiled at the memory, it being the true beginning of his pirate life.

Then he lost his smile, looking at the sky, brows furrowed. He sat down against the building, knees bent and head down. He'd done a lot of good since coming here, but he'd rather have this world burn to nothing than never see his family again.

He was… conflicted. He wanted to leave so bad. But there were good people here. He didn't know what he would do if he was never able to go home. He heated his face up to evaporate all of the tears before they fell.

Ace turned himself into fire, though of course it didn't damage the building or plants, and looked at the bright flames that were his hands. He looked at them, wishing he could see his family. But the fire died down, and he stood up to just go on a walk. The kids weren't coming back until after the weekend.

As he walked past one of the reflective windows, he saw something move through his flames on his shoulders and stopped, turning to face the window. He lit all of his body on fire besides his face. He saw Marco there, talking and joking with Thatch. He put his hand to the window. He was seeing things. Things he wanted to see.

But they didn't miss him. They were acting like he wasn't gone for days. Maybe weeks. That hurt. He knew that they were only without them for a few minutes or hours, but he wished they felt as sad as he did. He didn't want to feel like this. Forgotten. Then he saw Pops, who looked sad at an empty spot on the table.

Ace smiled a small smile before he felt someone in the room he was staring at. He released the flames and started to walk away before the window opened. "Are you alright, Ace?" Thirteen asked. Ace didn't know why she was there. Maybe for protection against the League of Villains? Who knows.

"I'm fine," Ace mumbled.

"Do you miss your world? I know we don't know each other, barely, but maybe that's good. You can talk to an unbiased person if you want," Thirteen said.

Ace looked at the sky. The one that mirrored his own, yet the world below it was so different. "I miss my family. I don't think they miss me. To them, I've only been gone a few minutes. I know it's not their fault, but I wished they missed me, too," he said quietly, and then looked at his hands. "I don't like this world. I miss the ocean… I hope the plan works."

Thirteen said nothing for a moment. "I hope you get back to your home, soon. I can't imagine being in your situation. And now you have pressure on you from people you don't know or like. I can't imagine how stressful it may be," she said.

"Yeah. It sucks. I don't want people to see me as their helper-hero. I only help All Might because it passes the time, and I don't have to think about missing my home and family. I mean, the kids are entertaining and some of them are nice, but I mostly like them for distracting me," he confessed. "I hope that doesn't make me look like a bad person." He still hadn't turned around.

The hero said, "It doesn't make you a bad person. You have no obligation to anyone here, and you've already done more than anyone could expect. You want your family. Only your family, so of course you won't want to grow close to anybody here. It makes you human. Not everyone is hero material, you know? Not everyone could be selfless and risk their lives for strangers."

Ace nodded along, agreeing with what Thirteen was saying. "I'm not a hero, and I don't ever want to be. I hope that doesn't cause any problems."

"My lips are sealed. Promise," she said. Ace smiled and thanked her before walking away.

-x-

Ace could see the new building from his window. It had been constructed in like, three days. Three long days, where he was questioned by multiple people for multiple things. By the end, he couldn't help being cranky. There was only so much one could take. He didn't appreciate being interrogated when he'd done nothing wrong. He'd helped them, didn't need to hound him about things they'd never understand. He sighed and sat on his bed, looking at the empty room, feeling lifeless. There were no family photos, drawings, even trash. Nothing to show someone lived there.

He left the room, dressed for the day with his hat shadowing over his eyes. That was a good thing about hats with rims, he could hide his eyes alright. He walked to the cafeteria, glad the students weren't back yet and he could still eat dinner in peace. When they did come back the next day, the school would always have kids. It made him sad.

Sure, he was used to being around hundreds of people in closer quarters all day, but they were his brothers and gave him good feelings. Here it was annoying, they were all kids. He had barely met any of the upperclassmen, and didn't know if he'd ever. He did wonder, though, what older students were like. Who knew more about their quirks.

He went to the broken building area, still not remembering its name, to train. But he did it halfheartedly. Usually exercise was fun to do, but now it was just boring. He was slipping. It had only been three days, and he was slipping already. And he'd have to put his happy wall back up when the kids came back.

How did teachers deal with it? Well, All Might. Eraser Head always looked angry and exhausted, but All Might smiled all day, every day it seemed. Ace was moping on the roof of the highest crumbling building. Even if it fell, he'd be fine. His fire was keeping him alive, and his haki was the best thing he'd ever learned. He had to profusely thank those who taught him it.

Ace felt someone's presence come and looked down to see All Might, who rocketed up by kicking off the ground. Ace looked away, not exactly wanting to talk to anybody. All Might sat next to him in silence. Ace took a deep breath. "Was there something you needed?" he asked.

All Might said, "You need something to do, Ace-san. I know what misery feels like, especially when you have nothing to distract yourself with. I can take you into town if you wish. I've gotten permission from principal Nezu." Ace looked to the side, seeing the city in the distance. He didn't know. He was bored, maybe something new would help.

Ace sighed and said, "Sure. I can't train anyways." All Might didn't ask him for an explanation for that, maybe didn't need one, who knows? But he knew All Might was no stranger to hopelessness. Before Marco, he was going to die sometime in the future.

Ace put his hat on, and both of them dropped down, ignoring stairs. "Sometimes looking sickly and weak was good for disguise purposes. We may have a crowd out there." Ace nodded, saying he was used to crowds, just different ones. "You mean your family?"

"That and on busy islands under our protection, or when we're taking out a marine base," Ace said absentmindedly. "Things get really hectic when we take on a marine base." All Might made no show that he was going to correct Ace, tell him that that wasn't right to do.

As they walked to the campus entrance to leave, All Might replied. "Usually, I would not condone such actions, but from what you've told me, your world government is horrid. That kind of government would never hold here." Ace nodded. He could tell that this world would never turn into the World Government. Plus, each country was ruled by someone else. It was a hard concept to believe.

"I wish we could invade Mary Geoise, but that would be suicide, even with Pops there," Ace said, itching a spot beneath his elbow guard. "I can't wait to go home and stay there. Be myself." Then he shook his head. "Im sorry, I don't usually whine this much."

All Might just laughed and said that it was completely fine to state your feelings. "Especially since I'm the only real one to know you here. You're free to talk to me about anything you are comfortable with, Ace-san." Ace gave a strained smile and a thank you. "There will be no fighting tomorrow, just a race. Young Midoriya looks up to you quite a bit," the pro-hero said, changing the subject.

"He's probably just happy I'm helping him out over others. Even though he was the only one to ask," Ace replied easily. All Might shook his head, and now they were walking on the road that led to U.A. Ace was growing nervous, not knowing what to expect.

"No, he looks up to you training yourself to be strong before you had your devil fruit. That you were strong even without your ability," the man explained. To Ace, that really wasn't that weird. Most of the Whitebeards were strong as kids and teenagers. Marco was second in command at 16, and got a high bounty that same year.

"If this world wasn't so sheltered, I bet a lot of kids would train themselves like we did. But it was incredibly dangerous, and your society seems to value children's lives more than mine. Which I think is good. The circumstances are so vastly different that I can't look down on those who don't try to better themselves like we did." Then he let out a smile. "Except Mineta. I think he's just here to look at women."

All Might laughed, and Ace chuckled. "He is quite unique. But young, so hopefully he will grow as a person as he learns more about responsibility."

Already people were gathering, saying hello and thank you to All Might. Ace ignored it, even though some were looking at him curiously. "Honestly, attending school would be awful without the hero training. I could never sit still in a class for so long just _listening_ to someone talk," he said. "Kids in this world have incredible patience. Beside the Bakugos of this world." All Might laughed again.

Ace was glad he wasn't getting upset at Ace poking fun at his students. "Young Bakugo has potential. He shows it even if his attitude is not ideal." Ace then said he really shouldn't be one to talk.

"I was a terrible child, I shouldn't judge someone else for having a bad temper. Has Bakugo ever tried to kill anyone? I tried to kill my brother when I was 10 and he was 7. Hah! But no, I'm serious. I hated the world, and he just kept pissing me off. But, he still forgave me and adores me. I've changed a lot in 12 years."

All Might was shocked, but admitted that people can change a lot from childhood. "For the better, in my case," Ace added. He finally started paying attention to where they were once they entered the city. The buildings were so tall and shiny that it made his mouth drop open. He walked to a stand and looked at all of the little trinkets. Tiny toys that could clip onto something. He'd seen them on some of the kids' backpacks. He moved onto the next store, ready to push the doors inwards when they slid open. He walked inside and saw all of the wrapped foods. He picked up a bag of donuts, asking how they mass produced all of this.

"Technological advances make everything more efficient. But, donuts from bakeries are much better," Ace put the bag down, and All Might patiently let him explore the store, going to the beverage wall.

"That's a lot of booze, jeez. Man there's so much here, everyone would love it. Pirates drink a lot of alcohol," Ace said when the pro-hero looked confused. "Me and Marco can't get too drunk due to our devil fruits, though." He was glad All Might didn't make some comment about how alcohol was bad for your health. Everyone already knew that.

But he didn't buy anything, and looked around in most stores they passed while All Might dealt with the press and fans. Man, being him would be _exhausting_. It was quite the different reaction. Ace in public back home was accompanied by fleeing citizens and cries of "pirates!"

This looked more annoying than scaring the shit out of everybody. He had no money, and was just looking around before he found something he wanted. It was a small figurine that would clip onto something, what All Might had called a key chain. It was of a little chef with a blue bird. He cured his fist around it, but didn't steal it.

All Might was behind him and offered to pay for it. "Are you sure?"

"Ace-san, you literally regrew my stomach. A key chain is little in return," he said and Ace grinned, buying the tiny thing. He would keep this with him, to remind him that his brothers were still there waiting and loving him, even if there wasn't enough time for them to miss him yet.

He clipped the keychain to the pendant that rested on his chest from the string from his hat. He felt happier, and thanked All Might for taking him. That it was just what he needed.

All Might laughed and said he was a pro-hero, so of course he'd help someone else. Ace shook his head, and the two made it back to the school before nightfall. He kept looking down at the little pendant, happy with it being there. And it'd stay there.

Ace ate dinner alone since All Might was scheduling about the return of students to get set up the next morning. Ace took in the nice and quiet of the room. Well, he wasn't living in the dorms with the kids, and there was a curfew, so at least Ace would still get sleep. That was nice. For a bit, he was afraid he'd be moved to their dorms as well, but it was a fleeting and ridiculous thought.

He most definitely wasn't a student and didn't want to be. Waiting through lectures? Ugh. Plus, there was the fact that this school was oriented to raising heroes. Not pirates in disguise. He chuckled at the thought. A criminal right under their noses, helping their kids be better. Or at least stronger. All Might knew this yet let him stay and had told no one.

But, he had seen Ace and his crew first hand, knew what kind of people they were regardless of their occupation. There could be good people on the bad side, and bad people on the good side. Well, good and bad were pretty blurred in his world, but in this one, villains were on the bad side. All bad people, according to the good guys, the heroes.

Ace was neutral. He knew better, that there was no black and white "good or evil". Sure, some people are pure evil, but others are not. Just like some people were pure good, but others not. He felt enlightened, knowing that there was always more under the surface. He didn't believe in conventional "good" and "bad". Every single person was a mix in some way. It just depended on whether you acted on it.

He finished his teriyaki chicken while thinking of these things. The silence was nice to think in. He kept touching the little key chain, and it made him feel better. If he started to mope, he touched it and remembered his brothers and father were always there for him, waiting for his return, even if their wait was only a few hours.

After he took a hot shower, he headed back to his room and set his hat down on the bedside table. He smiled at the cook and blue bird. What a strange coincidence. But he was glad All Might took him out. Just to get this, he was thankful. He didn't have the urge to go out again, but once was enough after he got this simple but meaningful trinket. And All Might was right. 10 yen was nothing compared to reforming a stomach to grant decades of more life. Ace had figured out the currency of yen compared to beri by observing the costs of similar things. Ace's bounty would be around 580,000,000 yen. Enough to buy many houses.

But of course, he had no bounty in this world, so he was worth nothing. It was a bit funny. Being worth nothing now.

In the morning, a thing called an alarm clock chimed waking him up. He slammed his hand down on it, not knowing how to turn it off so he just hit it and it managed to work out. He yawned and stood, dressing automatically, putting his accessories on. His hat, beads, bracelets, elbow guard. Everything but his dagger, again.

He headed down stairs and got a poptart since he wasn't going to be using his ability today. It was moving day for the staff and volunteers while the kids were introduced to the dorms. It would be good exercise, to carry heavy things up and down the staircase. So, he and the other movers were ready for the busses to come full of things to put in their rooms.

Ace was waiting on the roof, always liking being at high places since he was a child. After all, he and his brothers lived in the tallest tree in the forest. And nobody was stopping him here since it didn't damage anything and he wasn't a student.

Ace dropped down, and was one of the movers to carry the furniture up. The bed frames, since he carried them upwards so they didn't break against the walls. Nobody else had the balance to do this or the arm strength. He put each bed in their places, followed by dressers. He didn't know how any of the kids wanted their rooms to look, so the movers and Ace just put their belongings in the correct bedrooms for the students to organize themselves.

Once the baggage was all moved, Ace got a drink from the vending machine. No money, so he just looked around before punching it to knock anything off of the shelf. He went to the lounge area, and sat on the couch. It really wasn't a bad setup. But, it was only fair since they were being forced to leave their homes due to safety purposes.

What was the actual objective of the Villain Club? League of Villains. Eraser Head had said he heard Hand-Guy wanting to take down All Might. Ace was proud that the guy couldn't even get past his own creation to try and fulfil his objective. Ace was a thorn in their side from the start, and he relished in the anger he'd caused.

He grinned to himself before letting it fade when he heard kids were there. He didn't want to mess up their introduction, and went to the nearest window and let himself out. The next time he went in was to see how they were doing. He _didn't_ like or care about them. But he wanted to see if they were okay. _Only_ to pass time.

And he had been told about their injuries while being in the meetings with the pro-heroes after he'd woken up. And Freckles had broken two fingers. Ugh, that kid needed to learn his quirk, but he knew such things couldn't be rushed. Like Luffy needed to learn his fruit, but not every fruit is as difficult, and the same was for quirks, it seemed.


	9. New Living Arrangements

Ace didn't want into he dorm by himself, not knowing if he was allowed (god, he hated that term) so when All Might showed up, he gave Ace a reason to come with him. Ace walked behind him, hands in his pockets.

"Young boys and girls, welcome to your new dorms! They were built only just recently, but will be more than comfortable for you." Ace knew it would be mean to point out they'd only been built in a few days, so he didn't. There was no reason to say that. For enemy pirates, he would tell them that it would fall to pieces, being built so fast.

He almost snickered to himself.

"Classes will resume tomorrow, but for today, unpack and make yourselves feel at home. Aizawa-sensei has already briefed you on the rules, so relax and recuperate!" All Might declared. He said, "I am sorry that this needs to be done, but it is for your safety, which means the most to U.A.!"

The teacher then left, still smiling and pat Ace on the back on his way out. "ACE!" a bunch of the kids shouted.

"Hey. How are you all holding up?" Ace asked a bit awkwardly.

"You were AWESOME! How'd you get the nomu-thing to rebel!?" Sero asked. Freckles had a notebook out, ready to write. Ace said it was hard to explain, and a bunch of them sat down in front of him. It looks like none of them had been hurt besides Freckles fingers, which Recovery Girl had fixed since they were both fine to grip the pencil with.

Ace sighed and rubbed his head. "Fine," he said, and sat on the floor. "It's called haki. I already told you about the other two. Observation and armament. There's one more I didn't talk about, conqueror's haki. It's the rarest form, and you have to be born with it. Only one in several million. It allows the user to exert their own willpower over others.

"That's how I made the nomu do what I wanted. Pretty much I scared it to do what I wanted," Ace explained. "You can't use it the same with humans. For weaker willed ones, they just pass out on the spot."

They were quiet before Bakugo demanded he teach him. "I just told you you had to be born with it," Ace said, brow raised. "Besides, haki isn't possible for humans here. Only in my world," he added.

Ashido, the poison girl, said, "I saw you when you were fighting. It was cool, but pretty scary."

Ace shrugged. "I live in a scary world. It's only natural that I fight that way, too. But it didn't hurt anyone else. And I'm sorry if my rings of fire were scary. They wouldn't have burnt you since I didn't want them to."

Todoroki looked surprised and asked, "You can control what you want your flames to harm?" Endeavor couldn't do that, which was why he was most likely asking.

"Yeah. It won't burn you. You three experienced it first hand, right? I'm sorry I gave no warning I was in a hurry," Ace said to the three he'd scared. They nodded, and Ace noticed two of the girls staying far from him. The frog girl and gravity one. Ace still couldn't keep all of their names straight. They seemed afraid. He gave them an awkward smile, but then looked down. Freckles was writing like his life depended on it. And since his notebook said number 20, he did this a lot.

"Man, you really pissed them off," Kaminari said with a whistle. Ace chuckled, before he could hide it. "You enjoyed the fighting, didn't you?" he asked.

Ace said honestly, "Yeah. It would have been better if none of you were there, but battle is fun for me. Good mental and physical exercise. But you guys shouldn't think like that, right? You're supposed to be heroes. I'm not a hero," he said simply.

Frog girl asked, "Then what are you? What do you do with your powers?"

He wasn't sure what to say. He didn't want them to admire his way of life, even if he wouldn't go into specifics. "Hmm, let's just say I use it to protect myself and my friends. Heroes protect everyone. That's not me," he said simply.

"At least he's honest about it," Todoroki said. The others nodded in agreement. "You're in the news, you know? People know there was another fire user involved, but your face isn't out yet. Endeavor is pissed since everyone knows it wasn't him." Ace held in a snicker and smiled. God, he hated being mature. Why couldn't he complain and curse and insult? That was the most comfortable. Being around people you can piss off without damaging the relationship.

Ace shrugged. "It doesn't really matter to me. I don't leave the campus. Well, I did once, but that was with All Might and the only time I can or will." He wasn't a teacher, he was more like an assistant to All Might, so he could be honest with them without it being inappropriate.

Bakugo changed the subject again. "You think you're so cool don't you? Just cause you fought some minor villains and controlled the nomu." Ace frowned at him, wanting to snap back and say, " _And what you did was any better?"_ but he sorta worked here now and didn't want to piss them off. Well, Bakugo already disliked him.

"Bakugo, he literally incapacitated more villains than Eraser Head and killed the nomu _and_ got the main guys to leave us and save Shigaraki," Kirishima pointed out, sounding impatient. Bakugo grinded his teeth and looked away.

Ace spoke up and said, "I really hope you don't think I'm your competition."

"So what if I do?" Bakugo snapped. Ace was irritated with not being able to rile him up more.

"Then that's pretty pointless. Hopefully I'll be long gone before you get anywhere close to my power. Besides, you can't compete with someone who isn't in the same occupation as you," Ace replied honestly.

Momo spoke, the _fifteen year old_ whose boobs are always popping out of her costume, saying, "You probably could never match him anyways, Bakugo-kun. Even if his power wasn't fire, he has other ways to stop you using your bombs. Or using it to his advantage. Remember when he blew your own arm up with your secretions?"

Bakugo stomped away.

"Are you the strongest in your world?" Iida asked, pipe legs and class rep, as he likes to announce. Ace scoffed.

"No way. I'm one of those in command on an emperor's crew, but I'm still way below my father and captain. And some of my brothers are stronger than I am. I'm definitely not even close to being the strongest. I think those in my world would not be a match to anyone here. Not even All Might." The others' jaws dropped.

Headphone girl asked, "What's an emperor's crew? And why is your family so strong?"

Ace thought about how to explain without giving away that he was a pirate. It was getting harder to tiptoe around that. He didn't know what to say. "Most of my world is made of ocean. You live on the sea pretty much if you want to have an interesting life. And you have to be strong for the sea monsters and enemies out on the sea with you as well. My captain is one of the worlds' highest powers. I'm a commander on his crew, with 100 people under me." Then he grinned. "My father/captain is so strong even All Might recognized it."

"Liar!" Bakugo accused. Damn, he really hated Ace.

"But he can also tell you he's a nice guy. Terrifying, but a good guy. He's three times as tall as All Might also. I'm one of the smaller members on my crew," Ace explained, loving bragging about his family. He missed them, but enjoyed making them sound impressive by telling the truth. He wasn't inflating any of this.

"His name is Whitebeard. The strongest man in the world," Ace declared. "He's so strong he could destroy the world if he wished. He has the power of creating earthquakes and tsunamis. If he wanted to, he could completely reshape the planet. He would never do that, but that's why people call him the strongest." He was grinning by the end.

The kids looked frightened, and Ace was glad they understood how powerful Pops was. Momo said, "Then I'm glad he's not a villain here. He could hold leverage over the entire planet to do what he wished." The others nodded.

"Well, once he dies, someone else will have that power. Our powers do not come with us. We find them. And once the user dies, the power will be reformed somewhere in the world for another to take its power," Ace said. "Devil fruits have still never been explained by science, even after thousands of years of studying them."

Bakugo sneered. "So someone else has had and will have your power?"

"Yup, that about sums it up. But that also makes us be able to compare our power to the previous user. I don't know who had my fruit before, though, so I can't really do that," Ace said, not offended like the hothead probably wanted him to be. "There are many devil fruits that are similar to some of yours, only slightly different."

Mineta demanded he tell them, even though Ace didn't know many powers similar to his sticky-ball-head. "Sure, why not? Well, there's a bomb fruit, he can use any part of his body as a bomb. His foot, hand, face, anything could explode if he wanted it to. There's an invisible fruit, turning all clothes and anything they are holding invisible as well. Like Uraraka's gravity ability, somebody is able to control it at will. He can put gravity on you so you're crushed to the ground, unable to move. That idiot can also bring asteroids to the planet.

"I don't understand why he would do that, but to each his own. As long as I'm nowhere near the impact. There is one like Kaminari's, he can control and summon lightning at will. Or heat things up with lightning, melting metal or burning flesh. There is an ice logia, along with a magma logia. They can both become, create and control their element, like I can.

"There is a light logia that can make beams out of any body part and move at the speed of light. And sort of similar to Ashido, there are two types of poison users. One who secretes all types of poison from their skin, and one who created poisonous gasses. One of them guards the biggest prison in the world. It's a not a pleasant place filled with torture." The kids were entrapped, eyes wide and wanting to hear more.

Bakugo was pissy. Someone had his power but better. Gravity girl was shocked about Isho's power.

"Who else…" he said, trying to think. "Hmmm, I can't think of any other fruit I know of that is similar to any of yours. But, you wanna hear the scariest one? More evil than anything you've probably heard?" he asked, feeling like Thatch telling ghost stories.

"Yeah! Tell us!" Kirishima said excitedly.

Ace said, "It's in the hands of a little girl, but she's not. She will just never age. She ate the hobby hobby fruit. It allows her to transform any living being into a toy, and then the rest of the world forgets that the toy was ever a person. Their family forgets them, nobody remembers them. And worse, if she does, she can given them an order that they must follow for the rest of their lives as toys. The only way to transform all of the toys back is for someone to knock her unconscious.

"She helped rule a tyrannical kingdom by turning any dissenters into toys. My younger brother's friend defeated her though, and set all of the toys free. But that, in my opinion, is the most evil fruit. It would break your soul to be forgotten and only able to follow orders. You could never find peace, trapped inside a toy-slave's body."

Their jaws dropped and some of the girls were holding each other. "You can see why I have to be strong right? In a world full of those types of fruit users and haki masters, you can't be weak," Ace finished, satisfied with his storytelling, even if it was the truth.

Freckles said, "Your world sounds horrible." Others nodded in agreement. Ace started laughing.

"In many ways, yeah, it's a lot worse than here. But I like that world more than this one, and not just because it's my home and where my family is. Being out on the sea is the best, not being trapped in some country, unable to experience other cultures monthly, explore ruins, castles, forests, deserts. I would choose to stay in that world over this one any day of the week," he said, and finally finished with, "When my family figures out a way to get me back permanently, I'll be glad to go back home."

It was pretty late by now. He looked at the clock. "Well this was supposed to be me just saying hi, but there you go, nightmare fuel." A couple of the kids started laughing, and Ace stood up. "I will say this. You guys keep me interested, so thanks for that. See you tomorrow," he said, and left through the nearest open window.

 _You'd be proud of me, Thatch._ He chuckled to himself. He then froze, noticing who was outside the window. "They're fifteen, they should be fine," Ace said to All Might.

The man laughed. "You painted quite the dark picture of your home. Well, it was the truth, so better than lying. But they might tell their parents."

Ace shrugged. "It's not like I told them any weaknesses. Besides, their parents don't dictate where I go here. If they did throw a fit, you could just toss me out of the class to do some other work, like guard the wall again."

All Might said, "We won't toss you out, don't worry. I do not think telling them about your home was wrong or a bad choice. You were honest, and I admire honesty. Even when it's being framed as a scary story."

Ace laughed and went to go get some food before any of the kids got there.

-x-

Ace opened his eyes slowly, seeing he was still in the dark room with no life. He rolled onto his back and ran his hands down his face. He'd woken before the alarm went off. He lit his hands on fire, looking at the flames. The only thing familiar to him from home was his body and flames. He was so glad they transferred with him.

He sat and took a few deep breaths, touching the keychain near the bed, calming himself, the rising hysteria of wanting to go home. The loneliness, the isolation. Ace got up and dressed, staring at his reflection in the window. He balled his fist, wishing he could punch a hole through a window or wall. But he couldn't.

Not only would he be wrecking something that wasn't his (not that it was the first time, it just _mattered_ this time) but he'd be showing he was unable to control his anger. Anger, and despair. He pressed the pendant to his forehead. "I'm coming back. Wait for me, just a little longer," he whispered. He still didn't know if he'd been imagining things when he saw his family in the window. It hadn't happened since, so he was inclined to think he saw something he wanted to see in a moment of desperation.

He switched the light off and headed out of the empty dorm corridor and to the cafeteria. It was fancier looking, but didn't look like home. And he knew it was stupid to say a school didn't look like home. But he had to live here now. This _was_ his home for now. He hated it. Hated the shiny walls. Hated the big windows. Hated the tile floor. Hated the ceiling lights. Hated everything.

He took a deep breath, trying to pull himself together. He went behind the counter, where cooks were, and asked them for something quick. The head cook handed him a breakfast sandwich she made on the spot. "Thanks," he said, glad the kitchen staff liked him. He'd helped them do the dishes when he was bored a few times. It wasn't much, in his opinion, but they said any help was great.

After eating, he went to find All Might, looking for powerful presences. He put him in the infirmary, and saw through the open door that All Might was having his stomach examined. Ace gripped the walle tightly, worried that it had failed, that Marco's cure was not permanent. But that was wrong.

"All clear. You're still as good as well," Recovery Girl said cheerfully. "Oh, Ace! Are you here for a check up, too?" Ace shook his head, just saying he wanted to find All Might. "I still can't thank you enough for helping All Might. Not only are his wounds healed, but his high blood pressure is gone, and cholesterol has lowered! It's amazing!"

Ace beamed, happy to hear praise for his brother. Marco would love hearing that. "I'll make sure to tell him that." All Might got up and walked over, putting his shirt back down to cover where a terrible wound used to be.

"Ace-san, today Eraser Head will be explaining-"

Ace grunted as he hit a familiarly comfortable bed. He rolled over and bit his lip, trying not to cry. He was home, but for how long? How long would he be here before cruelly ripped back away into another world? It had only been five days, but it felt like an eternity. The key chain on was a small bandage covering a gaping wound.

Was he stupid for being so upset? Was he weak for it? He rubbed his face on his blankets, taking a deep breath of them. It smelled like home. He sighed, wiping his eyes before he stood up and rushed outside his room.

Did they miss him? Was anybody waiting for him? Did anyone even notice? But then Haruta was there. "Ace!" he shouted and slammed into him, knocking him down. Ace hugged him back, both of them blubbering out "I missed you!" and "I was so worried!"

"How long have I been gone?" Ace asked, wiping his eyes on Haruta's shirt.

"Hey!" he shouted angrily as Ace continued to wipe his face all over Hartua's sleeve. "Stop it, moron!" Ace just started laughing and Haruta kicked his head. "That's gross! And you've been gone four days! What have you been doing?"

Ace stood up, and said, "A lot happened. I'm just… I don't want to talk about it yet." Haruta frowned and put a hand on Ace's shoulder.

Haruta smiled and said, "You're home now, Ace. For however long, you are home. Back with your family." Ace nodded, rubbing his eyes. "C'mon, let's go tell everyone you're back and we can have a party!" The youngest nodded again.

He hurried out into the galley and was dogpiled by Thatch and several of Ace's division, Haruta throwing himself on top of all of them. Ace hugged Thatch tightly. He was crying, too, now, only louder than both Ace and Haruta put together.

Pops came from behind and picked him up, holding him tightly. It was a bit strange, but comforting. "We missed and were worried for you son, but we are happy you're back," he said with a warm voice and kind smile. Ace nodded, and Marco was there, hugging him, too. So many hugs. He had no physical attention in the other world since he didn't have any trust or desire to hug anybody.

He loved how comfortable and familiar he was here. This was his home, these people were his home. "How close are we to the island from here?" Marco frowned, saying they still had five weeks at least. Depending also on external factors. Ace's face fell and he nodded. There was nothing they could do to speed it up or anything like that.

"Now, we're having a party for your welcome back!" Thach announced. "Bring out the grills and booze!" The pirates cheered, and soon Ace was on deck, he headed straight to the figurehead and stood on it, closing his eyes and taking in the breeze, the sound of waves lapping against the ship, the smell of the sea.

He almost cried, but didn't. This wasn't the time to cry, it was the time to enjoy being home with his family. A good thing was that he was not in the other world for as long as he was with his family last time, even if it felt much longer.

Marco came up from behind him, and said, "We'll get there Ace, no matter what." Ace nodded and Marco put a hand on his back. "Now let's go catch up over some alcohol, the party will start soon. They're already taking the sake and food out. It'll be a big party," he said with a grin. Ace nodded and hurried over.

Over drinks and food, Ace explained his time in the other world, recounting the fight, helping the kids out, freaking them out with his stories. "I wish you guys had been there to fight, too. It was a big fight, and really fun. I freaked the creep out pretty bad."

Thatch and Haruta started laughing. "You did all that to freak him out, didn't you? You could have offed the nomu thing without controlling it," Haruta pointed out. Ace pouted and crossed his arms before he couldn't help smiling.

"Yeah. I wanted to show my strength and piss the dude off. It was awesome! The only really fun part of being there at all. At least I got to fight. In other situations, regular 'heroes' aren't allowed to fight without a license," Ace explained animatedly.

The others still thought that was stupid. Ace nodded. But the other world was much more different, as most people had powers. In this world, only a small amount had devil fruits. Quirks seemed weaker than devil fruits, as they had more limitations. They could grow tired using them. Sure, devil fruit users got tired from using their abilities too much, but it wasn't as bad as some quirks.

Even Endeavor had weak spots. He could get too hot that it harmed him while Ace was able to easily raise his body temperature to bend metal. He drank gladly, laughing with his brothers, like nothing weird was happening. They were getting closer to the island, and he couldn't wait to be back home.

None of them considered that it wouldn't work and Ace would have to do this forever. He didn't know what he'd do if he had to be in this loop forever. But, he couldn't lose hope. Izo pointed to his hat's new keychain, asking what it was.

"Oh, I found this at a shop. All Might bought it for me. It reminded me of Marco and Thatch." he unclipped it and handed it around where others looked at it.

"Awwww, Ace you got a reminder of me and birdbrain!" Ace laughed, saying it made him feel better sometimes, when he was moping. Nobody said anything about his confession to mope, which was not something he usually did. They could no doubt sympathize with him, knowing he was upset and knowing they would be as well.

Ace asked if they were having trouble without him, sounding guilty. "Don't worry, we've got 15 other commanders, right? We aren't in a tight spot in that way, but we do miss you, even if you're only gone for a few hours usually. We miss you and worry when you're gone. We love you, off course we miss you," Marco said softly.

Ace didn't cry, but his face crumpled. "I just want it to be over. It'd be so much more interesting if I had someone with me. But I think I'd get in trouble if I started bringing other people. They mistrust me enough already. They said they were keeping me on campus for my safety, but I think it's a different reason," Ace said, and Vista filled in the blank.

"They think you're too strong, and a danger. So they're keeping you under supervision. It makes sense in their world," he said. Ace nodded, but then said it was his plan to stay on campus, he just didn't like being told he had to by other people. He hated being told what to do.

Pops was listening in and said, "I'm proud of your restraint, son. But I'm also sorry you need to hide your true nature." Ace shrugged, and said there was nothing else he could do. But did wish he could fight some pro-heroes other than All Might.

"I'm sure he would have fought better if he hadn't been so injured. Oh, and apparently it wasn't just his injuries that healed, Marco. His high blood pressure and cholesterol levels have gotten better. He gets a check up ofen and there have been no problems," Ace explained with a grin. Marco smiled back, looking proud. Ace was proud of him as well. He loved bragging about them, about their strength in this unforgiving world. Even though the other one had villains, they didn't deal with the government and environment going after your heads. There were no sea monsters or weather that defied physics.

After the party, Ace slept in the chair in Pops' room, not wanting to be alone to sleep. Pops snored badly, but Ace could deal with it just fine. The chair was comfortable and big enough to sleep on, so he had no problems in there. He woke when Pops did, and they both went to breakfast.

Ace was doing his best not to touch his brothers too long and risk bringing them along like he had with All Might, but they simply refused to not hug him at all or mess with him. "You guys are jerks, you know that? I disappeared covered in paint! I had to walk through the whole school dripping with paint," Ace said at breakfast.

The table broke out into laughter. "It's not funny!" Ace shouted angrily. It was nice to shout, to be able to show anger, any anger, instead of being sad or polite. But they continued to laugh.

"It's not our fault you were the one to walk into our trap! It was just bad luck," Haruta said. Ace wanted to throw his food at him, but that day wasn't a day for a food fight. Ace grumbled that they were still assholes, and should have told him since he was one of the tricksters with them. How dare they leave him out?!

Ace sighed and looked around the galley. "In that world, galleys are called cafeterias. It's not cozy at all. I love this ship so much."

"Awwww," Thatch cooed, and Ace shot him a look.

The youngest got up to get seconds and then thirds. He felt so much more comfortable eating a lot here, when there was more than enough for him to eat and still let the others have enough as well. He also felt less uncomfortable stuffing his face. They were his brothers, and he would always be more comfortable around them.

All day, he never was by himself. He begged people to go into the bathroom when he was in there. It wasn't like the toilets were all grouped together, though the urinals were on the wall and not in stalls. They thought it was weird a bit, but Ace explained he didn't want to be alone, so they humored him.

He stuck to his closest brothers like glue, and they didn't get irritated with it. While he was there, he did his best to make up his duties as a commander, not just enjoy his time. He still had a position, and he worked with his division on the paperwork, asking them for any details they had of the time he was gone. It was a group effort, and they were all happy he was back enough to be happy to help.

They also asked some curious questions, but thankfully _after_ the paperwork was over. "I'm proud of you guys for adapting back to not always having a commander. It's been five years and four years since then, but I've heard nothing but good things. I'm glad you are good enough to function without me, and I'm sorry I have been gone," Ace said with a sincere smile and voice.

Some of them blushed and looked awkward before accepting the compliments. "There's no navigation for me to do there, I miss it. But I would be a lot more upset if something bad happened while I was gone. But I trust you all. I have since the start," he added, just piling on the compliments that he meant from deep down.

"We look forward to you being here permanently. We'll fix it somehow!" Orashi said with his hand in a fist, all fired up. He was the best map maker of the division besides Ace. Luckily, and also a bit sadly, Ace had made maps for the previous island, so he wouldn't need to make a new one. He wished he could map the island that caused this nightmare.

But it was his own fault, he knew that. But he didn't exactly expect this to happen, he just was curious. He should have listened to Thatch that time. Man, how scared he must have been. He had already apologized for it, but still felt guilt over it.

Ace grinned at his subordinate's attitude. "I seem to be the one most afraid. I'll try to find strength from your belief. But, it has to work out. And if it doesn't, we'll try something else. It takes a long time for me, but you guys won't have to suffer as long as I do." Then he corrected himself. "I don't _suffer._ The people are nice, most of them, but I just miss you guys. It would be an awesome adventure if I wasn't alone, you know?"

The others nodded. One of the more quiet members said, "You should try to enjoy it. I know it's upsetting, being alone, but you're on an adventure no one else has been in!" Ace nodded, thinking that was a good point.

"It's just strange. I'm a wanted criminal, yet I'm living in a school meant for heroes, who go against criminals. It's like I'm undercover," he joked. It really was ironic. The same quiet spoken one, Tomi, said, "Well, are criminals the same as villains there?"

Ace thought about it. "I'm sure regular law enforcement deals with things like theft. The heroes mostly deal with those using their powers for bad. I don't think I use my powers for 'bad', but I don't believe there are such things as good and bad. There's always a gray area. We pirates know that well," he said with a smile, glad he could think that way, it made life easier. The others nodded in agreement.

"I hope you guys know that I'm proud and sorry to not be there for you."

"Of course we know. You're our commander, but were first our friend. We know you care and you don't need to feel guilty," someone in the back said earnestly.

Ace grinned. "You guys are the best." They grinned and laughed. It was a happy moment, him making sure everyone knew he didn't like what was happening, and knew that he missed and loved them all. "The awesome thing is that I'm so damn overpowered there! Hah, it's awesome! Here, I'm not the strongest by a long shot, there are plenty of people stronger, but there, nobody knows haki. They all have weaknesses that devil fruit users don't have.

"And I looked in the library they have. There is no seastone in that world. My only problem is water, and there are no oceans surrounds a small island. Or nearby rivers or lakes. And one person I trust is the only one who knows. I know he won't tell anybody else," Ace explained. "He's a good guy. Doesn't agree with our career, but understands why we do what we do, and doesn't look down on us for it.

"It's really lucky he ended up coming with me. Not only was he healed, but he was able to prove I wasn't lying about not being from there. And, he could tell our bonds and understands when I'm moping. I try not to, but I can't help it when I'm alone," Ace confessed. He could trust his crew, mostly his own division and the commanders with heavy topics. He didn't feel weak in front of them. He felt calm and supported when he showed any emotions that some would consider weak.

They knew he was strong and capable, but they also knew he was a human with a heart just like anybody else. And that no matter how strong you are, you will always have moments of weakness. He loved his crew so much, and for them, would do his best to make the most of his time away.

The next two days were sent sailing, fighting off a swarm of sea kings, a marine attack and multiple storms. He was glad he always had something to do here. He liked being in charge and having responsibilities, not always free time. Being back to normal was good for him.

He was napping in the library, a book resting over his face, when Thatch came in and presented him with a smoothie with chocolate flakes on the top. "Acey-chan, wake up~" He used that ridiculous nickname to piss Ace off.

"Get lost, or I'll sic a nomu on you," Ace grumbled, hiding a smile beneath the book. Thatch laughed. It had become a joke, Ace sicing the nomus on anybody that pissed him off or annoyed him. He'd drawn it for the others to see, and they all wondered how it had an exposed brain.

"Noooo, not a nomu!" Thatch whined. "Now, drink this or I'll drink it myself. Or spit it on you. You won't leave with paint on, but spit and smoothie." Ace moved the book and shot a glare at Thatch before taking the drink and downing all of it.

"It was good, you're safe from the nomu for now," Ace said, both of them starting to laugh. He was enjoying life here in full, spending time with everybody. So, when he was suddenly on the grass, he grinned. He shook his head, and made sure his hat came with him. His dagger was still in the drawer, as it hadn't been on him the last time he disappeared. Poor Thatch was probably lamenting over something silly now. Well, ace would be back. He had no doubt that he would not be stuck here permanently.

* * *

**So I made them move into the dorms after USJ, not the training camp. At first it was an accident, but then I felt it worked better for the story. See you next week!**


	10. Sports Festival

#### MasteroftheTides (AccioWalnut): Thank you. You're very welcome! 

#### Adamari2001: Chapter 17 is extremely sad for Ace. I literally almost cried writing it. Poor baby. So, look forward to that one!

#### Anime_Moon00: I feel bad for Ace that he misses them for days/weeks and they only think he's gone a couple minutes/hours. They never feel the pain he does. It must be lonely. To be the only one who feels that way.

**Guest: That would be hilarious. Everyone would probably think he had a gigantification quirk or something. But he could just actually destroy the world! I have him in other crossovers and I make him a damn badass, because he is. (will not use past tense, will not use past tense)**

**Carimes_treehouse: Can you imaging him popping up in a room with the ceiling not high enough and he is so tall his head just goes right through. And he would also has his bisento that broke apart the ceiling, too.**

#### Mikuro56: Thank you! I'm glad you found and like it. Who knows if somebody will come along? Foreshadowing or cruely teasing? lol

* * *

**Sports festival time! Long chapter! Very long, as I made the sports festival in only one chapter. Features smart Ace in this one. And next chapter we meet one of my favorite BNHA characters ever. He'll be in the story a lot from the next chapter on. Look forward to it! Oh, and I posted another story and finished writing 3 more. -_- So, now it's at 840,000 words to post! Anyways, enjoy~**

* * *

When he arrived, Ace noticed just how many presences were on campus, some large crowds around stands in the distance. He was about to walk over there when he felt a mass of strong presences. Familiar ones, All Might and the other teachers, along with some others. In the large stadium where Ace had fought both All Might and the kids.

Something big was going on, and he sprinted in that direction, not wanting to miss out on anything going on with so many strong people. He arrived at the stadium to see there were guards and heroes guarding the entrance. He ran up to them and tried to get past.

"Whoa, you're not getting inside. Everything is filled up," the woman said, blonde hair with a purple mask and horns on either side. Ace frowned, and said he was a helper on campus, and helped All Might train with the kids. "Do you have anything to prove this?" Ace grumbled that he didn't. "Then you aren't entering."

Ace huffed. "Fine, I'll just listen," he mumbled, walking away, grinning. He was getting inside. He wasn't going to miss whatever was happening. The heroes didn't think twice about him, and he walked around the other side of the stadium. It was a huge wall, but he could make it. He crouched and then shot out enough flames up to propel himself to the top. He crawled on his belly to not be seen to the edge of the stadium. He'd been there before, but not when it was packed.

He was peeking his head over the side to look down at what was going on. It was packed full, like the heroes had said. It was loud, everyone cheering. He spotted the teachers in a glass box across from him, and saw All Might. He looked up at the right moment, and Ace sent him a thumbs up with a grin.

All Might clearly laughed, though Ace couldn't hear it, and sent a thumbs up back. Ace couldn't get over there without bringing attention to himself. Well, maybe he could. Ace made a movement with his fingers in a walking motion, pointing around the stadium. There were multiple empty seats in the glass box. All Might nodded, and Ace got up, crouching so the heroes didn't spot him, and made his way around the stadium. He got on his belly when the heroes looked up, and crawled along, bringing no attention to himself. He sprinted the last couple of feet before dropping down onto the staircase and running up them to the glass box, which opened for him.

"What's going on? How long have I been gone?" Ace wonders. This was a much better view than high up above. Everything was larger, easier to make out. The people weren't tiny anymore.

All Might replied, "You've been gone almost two weeks, and this is the U.A. Sports Festival. It's good to have you back." Ace grinned.

He looked up and said, "Things will be different from now on. I'm not gonna mope or pout anymore. I know I'll go back home, and why not enjoy this adventure that no one else has experienced?" All Might laughed, and said that was a wonderful attitude. "So, what's a sports festival? Is it a party where people play games?"

All Might explained what it was, more like a competition to show who was the strongest of them. "If they do well, they may get hero mentors who offer to train them to better themselves. It should be exciting, I think you'll enjoy it," he said with a his signature smile, arms crossed. Ace wanted to ask if his mouth hurt, and since nothing was happening, so he did. All Might just laughed. "It is stuck like this."

Ace burst into laughter, but All Might said, "I'm joking. Smiling gives people hope, knowing things aren't as bad as they seem. And I have gotten used to the feeling, so it doesn't cramp anymore. It's beginning," he said, and Ace looked out of the window in interest, wondering what would happen next. It was nice to appear when something cool was happening.

Present Mic announced some stuff, but Ace wasn't really paying attention, just there to watch the action, and he wished he had a snack. Then his class came out. Well, not his, but those he had gotten to know more. He saw Freckles looking the most nervous. Ace worried about him. "Are there battles? Against other students?" Ace asked.

A couple heroes had entered the box, and looked at Ace strangely for a moment before they seemed to recognize him and sit in their own spots. "Yes, they will battle in one on one matches as the last activity."

"Ohh, I hope Freckles doesn't hurt himself again," Ace mumbled. All Might looked down at him with a strange look.

"You mean young Midoriya?" Ace nodded. "He will be at a disadvantage, but I believe he will show his resilience. He may not win, but he has determination like no student I've ever met before."

Ace said, "Still, I don't want him to break any more fingers." All Might agreed with that. It had been against Ace last time he hurt himself. And, well, Ace hurt him too by dislocating his shoulder by accident. But, Freckles hadn't been upset with him afterwards.

"Why is Bakugo the one representing?" Ace wondered when the kid with the worst temper Ace had ever seen was called in to speak. All Might said he'd finished number one in the entrance exam.

"I pledge to be number one," he said in a bored voice. Ace laughed. It sounded like him as a kid. Maybe that's why he disliked him, not just because he was a rude brat, but because he reminded Ace of a part of him he never wanted to be again. He wasn't angry and hostile anymore, trying to kill people without a thought. Trying to kill someone who posed no threat. That just wasn't him anymore.

When all of the students started calling Bakugo names and just generally seeming to hate him, Ace said, "He doesn't have many friends, does he?" All Might sighed, but said nothing. When the first activity was announced, Ace crossed his arms. "This looks fun." All Might laughed.

"It will be fun for some, but hell for others. It is quite harsh in some parts. I hope for everyone to do their best." Ace wished he could take part. But it wouldn't really be fair. Well, the world isn't fair. Not even this one. He would decimate most of them. And he wasn't being cocky. He was just more experienced and his devil fruit and haki put him at a great advantage. So he knew he wouldn't ever take part in this without ruining it for everyone else.

Seeing the obstacle course through the floating screens was a bit disappointing. He couldn't see them in person, but he could feel with his haki that some of them were going all out. The main one was Todoroki, the son of Ace's least biggest fan. The kid was strong, he looked forward to seeing him at work when he wasn't against Ace and he could just observe while not fighting him. He leaned forward in his seat a bit.

Thirteen was sitting next to him, and had said hi. He wouldn't forget when she was kind to him when he was incredibly upset and feeling alone. He didn't pay much attention to what they were all saying, he could see for himself that those who had gotten past were all from class 1-A, the one he'd been with when the villain assholes had appeared.

He also didn't feel right to speak in the glass box now that there were other teachers and pros. He wasn't even supposed to be there, he was just lucky there was an empty spot and All Might saw him up on the roof.

He was interested when they all arrived at the cliff area with strategically placed rocks to get across. Unsurprisingly, Todoroki and Bakugo got there first. Ace felt something Bakugo didn't do was out of character. "Bakugo could have stopped many of them by topping the rocks or burning the ropes, but he went ahead. Was it to catch up to Todoroki?" he mused.

Thirteen said, "Most likely. He can't afford to lose time or momentum to doom the others." Ace was surprised he'd said anything out loud, but was glad they didn't get mad at him for speaking.

"He could have also taken advantage of Todoroki's ice and shattered the ropes. Or Todoroki could have iced them up anyways. It wouldn't have been hard for him," the fire user added. He knew he'd have burnt the ropes to stop the others if he was in Bakugo's shoes. But he understood the time crunch.

Snipe, one of the teachers Ace hadn't talked to much, asked how Ace knew this. "In my world, I worked with strategies. Plus, I've read up about the kids since being here, seen them fight me first hand. But this is more interesting, I get to pay attention closer to them."

The next obstacle was mine traps. Not deadly, Ace could tell by their explosions even if Present Mic hadn't assured the audience that they were not lethal. He shook his head when Bakugo started attacking Todoroki while they were still in the mine area, with others catching up. They were both slowing themselves down by doing this, and risking someone else usurping them while they squabbled.

Unsurprisingly, Bakugo was the instigator. But then there was a huge explosion from the back, and Ace knew someone was in the blast. He grinned when Freckles came out of it. He was smart. Hopefully that made up for his terrible weakness with his own quirk. And Ace hoped he still remembered some of the tips he'd given him.

He felt bad that he promised to give him another lesson by disappearing before he could. "Freckles is smart. I definitely wouldn't have thought of that. He didn't use his quirk and instead took advantage of his surroundings. That is quite impressive." All Might grinned proudly at this.

Thirteen nodded in agreement. Watching Freckles think in real time was interesting, even if it was through a screen. Bakugo and Todoroki stopped squabbling and ruining their chances and now the three of them were neck and neck. Ace was sure Freckles would have gotten third place, which is still awesome. Better than second place, but then he flipped and slammed his makeshift sled/shield into the ground and caused another explosion.

He was reckless and risking hurting himself to get to first place, but pretty damn brave.

When he became first place, Ace noticed a change in All Might. He glanced to him out of the corner of his eye, and saw he was grinning brighter than usual, his fist up slightly. So, he had a soft spot from Freckles. It wasn't hard to see why. Then he looked at Bakugo, who seemed to be having a fit all by his lonesome.

"All Might, is there beef between Freckles and Bakugo?" Ace asked. "He seems the angriest with Freckles more than anyone else. It's none of my business, but I'm just curious. I understand if you don't want to say."

All Might answered, though, and said, "They've known each other since childhood, and I think there is a very unfriendly rivalry between them. They are polar opposites, it seems. I assume they had a falling out some time and it's made them less friendly with one another. Bakugo also wants to be the strongest, so he's more hostile than others."

Ace wondered what kind of hero he'd make if he was so hostile with other people. But he didn't peg Bakugo as a villain or an actual "bad guy". Just a bratty little hothead with a temper he needed to watch. "Hmm," was Ace's response.

The next competition was named, and Ace had never heard of it. What was a cavalry battle? When the process was explained, Ace made sure to memorize it so he could play it with his brothers and they would be ridiculous and cheat and have a blast. When he heard the point system, it was as if the kids had bounties on their heads, some more valuable than the others. Poor Freckles had taken the first place. That wasn't so good for him anymore.

So, get more headbands or the top value to win. Based on what Ace had seen of the class 1-A, he would team up with Todoroki and Freckles. He and Todoroki would have been the brawn and Freckles would be the brain. He was sure that Todoroki would have been able to protect Freckles even if Ace wasn't there.

He could just imagine how unfair the game would be back home, with some of the crew being big enough to carry both others easily.

They had 15 minutes to form teams, and in that time, Ace got up to use the bathroom and get some water. He had to make sure that the lady who rejected his entry didn't see him.

He walked through the crowds easily and found the bathroom before a stand of free water bottles. Nice. He took one and drank a lot of it before sticking it in his pocket and walking out. He walked along the railing to try and get back to the glass box. "Hey! Ace came back!" he heard Kirishima shout. Others' attentions snapped to where the redhead was pointing. Ace waved and smiled, shouting at them for good luck. Not just class 1-A, but 1-B as well. He'd worked with both, even if one was more memorable, so he didn't just make eye contact with the favorite class.

People were looking by now, but nobody recognized him. After all, he wasn't on camera, and his name wasn't told after the villain incident. Just that someone who used fire had helped out. So, people looked and then grew tired of him as he walked back to the glass box and sat down. When he looked back, he symptahized with Freckles. He wasn't especially strong, but he was smart.

But even smart people would have trouble with everyone being the enemy, even friends. Poor guy. Well, the last activity had been a surprise win for him, maybe this one will be as well. All Might started talking since there were still five minutes until the match began. "How was your time back home?"

"Great. I told them all about what had happened. We made some inside jokes about it that I don't really think anybody would find funny, but we're weird like that. Oh, Marco was very happy with hearing about your health improving and not just the major stuff. They made me feel a lot better about being back here. To have fun while I can, and that they would find a way to fix it even if the current plan didn't work. So, I promise I won't mope.

"Keeping active and distracted helps a lot, though, so thanks for keeping me busy by letting me assist you," Ace finished sincerely, smiling brightly. All Might nodded, saying he was a great assistant.

"You must be a great leader. Smart, strong and charismatic. You'd make a great hero," but then he laughed. "In different circumstances, that is." Since Ace was a criminal, he wouldn't really make a hero.

Then he remembered something he wanted to ask. "Do heroes only deal with villains, or do they tackle small crimes like theft and other minor crimes that aren't destuctive or murder?"

All Might said that the heroes dealt with the big incidents while law enforcement dealt with smaller crimes that could be taken care of more easily. "Common criminals aren't seen as villains. Villains were those who use their quirks for evil."

"Interesting," Ace said simply. Then the match began and Ace watched closely, hoping it would be more entertaining than the obstacle race. He wasn't rooting for anyone specific. Well, he was rooting against Bakugo. He really disliked him.

Ace glanced to the other side of the stadium and saw Endeavor there, looking as cranky as ever, though he wasn't glaring at Ace. "Does Endeavor always glare?" Thirteen nodded. "Oh." Ace was glad it wasn't just at him. Though he could see why he disliked Ace a lot. Even though he wasn't there to take his place.

When the match started, everyone rushed at Freckles' group, which wasn't surprising. But Ace was surprised when their group was suddenly flying. "What's that? They're fly…in..." and he was asleep. All Might caught him before he fell forward and leaned him against the back of his chair. He snored through much of the match, not waking to any of the noise around him and outside.

"Ace-san," All Might said, tapping Ace, who woke with a start, and then realized what had happened.

"Damnit. How long was I out," he asked angrily.

Thirteen said, "You were asleep all through the calvary and half of the hour long break. We tried to wake you, but you weren't budging." Ace knew it was probably because his nap was interrupted by Thatch earlier that day. Well, earlier that day for _him._ Ace put his face in his hands. "Don't worry, you didn't miss the one vs one battles."

Snipe said, "You sure are a heavy sleeper."

Ace blushed. "I have narcolepsy, I need a certain amount of sleep each day or I'll have sleep attacks," he explained. "It doesn't hit during battles because of adrenaline. I had been low on sleep for the USJ incident, but I made it until after the fight to wake."

All Might said, "It's not in your control. Besides, the fun really starts next. And not falling asleep during important events is lucky." Ace knew that was the truth. He could never be a commander if he had so little control of his condition when in battle. He wouldn't be allowed on any missions as a leader, or even just as a normal member.

Ace asked who had won, who had made it. He wasn't surprised by what he heard. And he knew that class 1-B was talented, too. Everyone just seemed to forget them, so he was glad at least one team had made it. He knew most of their quirks, but didn't share them between classes. In many cases, class 1-B was more powerful quirk wise, but they lacked more drive. There were a lot of very determined students in class 1-A. So he was rooting for all them, but against only a few.

But he was glad he wasn't going to miss out on the matches. Those were the ones he was looking forward to most. When everyone had gathered, and two dropped out, he knew who was the cause of their memory loss. Shinso, who Ace had never said a word to after reading up about his quirk before he started assisting All Might. His quirk was powerful, if used correctly. Ace had read up on everyone, not just the classes he'd be working with.

And Freckles had to deal with him. But the kid was smart, he might be able to realize what was happening and do something about it. But he also knew he was friendly to his classmates. He was too nice to deal with Shinso, who pulled no punches.

But he looked forward to seeing the match. It would be boring if Shinso won easily, so he hoped Freckles figured something out to deal with the power. Ace only knew about his power by glancing at other students' bios after both hero courses. So nobody in the courses he helped out sometimes would know of his powers.

He was a dangerous opponent and it would be an embarrassing defeat if Freckles was told to walk out of the ring from Shinso's brainwashing. "Poor Freckles," Ace said to himself, but All Might was there and replied.

"Young Midoriya is smart. It will be a tough fight, but I think he will do fine." Ace looked at All Might, now sure something was up between him and Freckles. But it didn't matter to him, and it wasn't his business. He wasn't going to poke his nose where it didn't belong. In his world, that would be different. A lot of things were different, and he had to adapt. Even if that meant crushing his curiosity and turning into a more sensible person. Ugh, boring.

He was bored during the recreational activities, so messed around with his fire, trying to spell words in his finger flames or arm flames. It was difficult but rewarding when he was able to make words and symbols.

Snipe said, "You sure have good control over your flames."

Ace thanked him. "It's a good distraction. Fire doesn't only have to be for destroying things. Can make food, dry myself off without a towel, burn off sweat, keep warm in the winter. Sure, fire is helpful when fighting, but it's also relaxing to use for trivial things," he explained, making a cat of fire walk along his arm.

"Who were you trained by?" Snipe asked again.

Ace had been asked this by students as well. "By myself, mostly," he said honestly. "I learned haki from my brothers, but my fire was mostly trial and error. And a lot of burnt and charred furniture."

All Might laughed at that. Ace was lucky he didn't start any fires too big to put out. "And I can put out fires as well. I can suck the flames into my hands. I don't like it when people think my fruit is just pure destruction."

The others in the box were paying attention, those who Ace hadn't spoken to often at all. Vlad King was one of them. "You're very talented. It's too bad you don't live here so you can't become a hero."

"I don't want to be a hero even if I was from here or stayed permanently. I'm not that good of a person," Ace replied simply. Before anyone else could reply to that, the next event was starting. Present Mic explained the rules. Simple, knock the opponent out of the ring, incapacitate them or have them say "I give up".

All Might was leaning forward, and when he heard the commentator say Recovery Girl was waiting, Ace said, "Was that a good idea? To tell them that, so now they can be needlessly hard on their body? We both know Recovery Girl can't fix any injury." All Might's hands tightened.

"We have to say that for the sake of clarity. But you are right, having Recovery Girl there to fix anything without much work is not a good outlook. You should care for your body as much as you can, not always take shortcuts," All Might admitted. He was looking nervous now, his smile more of a half-grimace. Concerned for Freckles. He'd already hurt himself from his quirk and had that fixed, it would be bad if he now had a fixed mindset, that any injury he gave himself could heal.

All Might was proof that Recovery Girl can't work miracles. Marco could, but that was Marco and took him decades to figure out. "Hopefully they won't hurt themselves too much."

Thirteen pointed out that Cementos was there to stop if anything got out of hand. "How fast is he? An injury could take seconds to happen, right? How could he block that fast? Is he psychic?" The others shook their heads, and now looked apprehensive. Oops.

It was literally three seconds into the first fight that Freckles fucked up. He replied to Shinso the first thing he said. Ace put his hand to his forehead. All Might was worried, too. Well, maybe he could figure out a way to get around it. Ace couldn't think of any other way than hurting himself. He knew the kid would do that. And it was even worse now that they knew the nurse was there to patch him up.

Usually he wouldn't give a shit about someone else getting hurt from their own mistakes (unless they were family), but he didn't like people looking for shortcuts in life. If Freckles got injured fighting valiantly, then Ace would think he deserved to be healed. Who knows, he was getting ahead of himself.

Ace did feel bad when Present Mic started pointing out that the match just started and yet Freckles wasn't moving or doing anything. Then he started walking to the edge of the stage. Ace sighed. What an embarrassing defeat. Poor guy, if he lost he'd be demoralized and humiliated. Ace remembered feeling that way after losing so badly to Whitebeard. He had been so angry, but also very embarrassed. But the situations were completely different. Ace had been near death by the end of the fight, Freckles was just walking off the stage. Both were defeats and both were embarrassing.

"Aaaand he's already broken some fingers," Ace sighed. But that had been the only way to get out of the trance himself. But still, he hadn't even started fighting and was already injured. His power sucked. Well, his current power sucked. But he was back in action. And angry.

Though he stayed silent. Ace couldn't hear what Shinso was saying from there, or what he'd said in the beginning, but he could tell Freckles wasn't saying anything as he attempted to push him out of the ring. And he got close before Shinso switched the roles around and was now pushing the other out.

And then Freckles kicked the side of his knee before swiping his foot behind his ankle and shoving him one last time so he both fell and was pushed out. "I taught him that move!" Ace shouted, standing up. He was grinning before he realized how much noise he'd made. "Sorry," he said, and sat down, but was still grinning, proud. Of himself and Freckles. He must have been practicing and memorized it since that happened weeks ago.

All Might got up during the break, and Ace said, "Tell him I'm proud he remembered what I taught him." The man stopped, and sent an uneasy glace at Ace, who grinned. "I'm not an idiot." Obviously there was some favoritism on the pro-heros part with Freckles. It didn't matter to him, but it was obvious. Ace was stupid in some ways, but he could notice tell emotions all right. And the man always looked more proud or more nervous when Freckles succeeded or failed. Ace didn't know how others hadn't seen it. At least, others that Ace knew of.

All Might wasn't back before the next match. Todoroki vs Sero. Tape-kid. Ace knew who would win, but was curious as to how hard the former would go. Tape just couldn't win against fire or ice. But Todoroki was acting kind of weird. The silent-angry type who just got in an argument and refused to speak afterwards.

Sero made the first move, wrapping tape around Todoroki to make him go out of the ring before he acted, sending a huge wall of ice spikes in Sero's direction, slamming into the mostly empty stands and through the roof. What the hell? There had been a barrier when Ace was fighting? Ooh, maybe they thought Ace was stronger than these kids, so they made more precautions for him.

But damn, was he trying to kill him? Even that would have thrown Ace off. Midnight was half frozen as well. But Ace scowled when the crowd started cheering for Sero. Saying "Don't mind" was nice and all, but they were completely ignoring Todoroki's accomplishment, and he was already in a sour mood. If Ace wasn't in this box, he would shout out something encouraging.

He formed words saying "Nice Victory!" that covered the entire window, even though it was burning nothing. Todoroki just barely managed to glimpse up at just the right time and saw Ace's message. He didn't smile, but his frown softened just a little.

Thirteen said, "And you say you're not a good person?"

"You can be a nice person without being inherently good," Ace replied, and sat down. He looked up again and saw Endeavor glaring at him in rage, more rage than usual, and Ace didn't know why. Oh well, there was nothing he would be able to do about the man's nasty attitude towards him. He wasn't competition, when would anyone realize that?

Ectoplasm asked, "Why do you insist you're not good enough to be a hero? From what we've seen, your kind, respectful and powerful. Surely you fit the requirements."

Ace replied, "It doesn't matter anyways. I won't be here all the time, and I have my own responsibilities as a leading figure on my ship. I don't need more in a different world. Besides, I'm selfish. I do what I want, I save people if I want to. To be a hero in your world, I'd have to want to save everyone, not pick and choose." He explained it honestly, without hinting that he was a criminal. "I'm just not that selfless of a person," he finished and sat back down. They didn't have a reply to that, and Ace relaxed into his seat. Then he added one last thing. "My world has no heroes. The government and military are corrupt, there are no heroes. You fend for yourself against everyone you can't trust."

Snipe said, "It is difficult to be as selfless as heroes are. I think most of us have struggled with that before. Whether we are good enough, selfless enough, to be relied on for strangers. There's nothing wrong with not wanting to go out of your way to help strangers. I don't think it's wrong, and I'm sure many other heroes feel the same. But you're right, it doesn't matter as this isn't your world, and being a hero would need dedication that you just can't give."

Ace smiled, glad he summed it up pretty well. "Thanks," he said simply. Ace wasn't even paying attention enough to see what happened before that match was over and Kaminari was wrapped in plants. He knew who won, but it happened so fast. Poor guy. Ace felt pity for the ones who lost immediately.

The whole next match, Ace could not stop snickering, trying so hard to not laugh out loud, but the support girl was advertising her equipment while fighting and he just found it hilarious. All Might walked in during that and Ace covered his mouth and looked away. He was a helper for now, but funny is funny. Man he wished Haruta was here, he would be laughing his ass off.

"'M sorry," Ace muttered. _Think of dead puppies, think of dead puppies._ But then that morbid image just made him sad. At least he wasn't laughing anymore. Then the support girl excused herself from the match, making poor Iida the winner. Wining like that was almost worse than losing.

After that one, he left to go get some fresh air, stiff from sitting in the plastic chair for a while. He excused himself from the box and then left through the stadium and headed out to the back exit where the pro-heroes shouldn't be.

He ran into a not friendly face down there, walking around the corner to see Endeavor. He clearly hadn't been waiting for Ace to be there, and they met by accident. Ace didn't shrink away from his glare and walked past him easily. But then he stopped. "I really hope you don't still think I'm competition, because I'm not a hero and won't be one, so you can relax about that. Devil fruits and quirks are incomparable, so saying yours is better, mine is better, is pretty useless." And he walked outside.

Ace had no reason to show respect to someone who wasn't showing it back. He wasn't intimidated by Endeavor's power, demeanor or position in this society. None of it mattered to him, and the constant glares were just kind of unnecessary. He walked around a bit, stretching before heading back in. Endeavor was gone by then, but there were scorched footsteps on the ground. He sighed and shook his head.

Jealousy was fun sometimes, but this was just extra. He gained nothing from it, and he wasn't looking for anything from it. When he walked back to the box, he found the door was locked. He knocked on it and it was opened for him. The match had already been finished, the acid girl, Ashido had taken out lazer boy in a couple minutes. He honestly for the life of him could not remember all of their names. Only a handful.

He'd always been bad with names and faces, not even knowing the names of many of his own brothers. Well, he wasn't the teacher, so he didn't need to know all of them. Saying "you" and making eye contact bypasses having to say a name.

The next match would be interesting, and All Might told him something before it started. "Did you talk to Endeavor, by any chance?"

Ace nodded. "I told him I wasn't compeittin to him and comparing quirks to devil fruits was useless. I wish he'd stop glaring at me. It's unnecessary. Why?" All Might just said he was in an even worse mood than before.

Before Ace reponsed, the next match started. Ace wasn't sure who would win in this one, since Momo and Tokoyami were both powerful in their own way. But Momo's quirk took time to utilize while the other's Dark Shadow was fast and strong.

It was over in a second. Momo was pushed out of the ring with only being able to create a useless shield. Ace frowned, feeling pity for her. More than he did with Sero since he was able to lead the match, even if it was for a second. Here, she had lost almost instantly, and there was a depressed look on her face. It was just a bad match up.

Next was an interesting match up between to kids with similar quirks. Kirishima who could harden his body and Tetsutetsu who could coat his own body in steel. Ace knew haki had broken through both from experience fighting them, but he wondered which would prevail now. He noticed some people in the stand growing bored by the fifth minute of straight punches. They were both stubborn and barely taking any visible damage. Ace didn't see either being a winner or a loser based on their quirk, but probably by their stamina. Both were very physically fit, though. This could honestly go on for forever.

There was one final punch that outed both of them, knocked out at the same time. To be honest, that was Ace's favorite fight so far. It wasn't predictable and both were equally fired up. It wasn't an easy win or easy defeat and it wasn't hard to look at. Ace leaned back after it was declared a draw, and said, "That was honestly the most interesting fight. There was no obvious winner or surprise attack." Ace was feeling very talkative with the teachers in there, and they didn't seem to mind much.

The next match might be painful, but Ace was honestly insulted for Uraraka, the gravity girl, who was fighting Bakugo. He would feel bad for her based on how far apart their levels were, but he could hear people saying he shouldn't fight full force against a woman. Ace was surprised since there were many female heroes in this world.

He had never understood why men underestimate women so much, there were many strong female pirates out there that got overshadowed by the males. Ace had fought multiple hard opponents who were women.

"Is this how it always is here? People thinking men should go easy on women?" Ace asked. The others didn't answer, giving Ace an answer enough. "That's so stupid."

All Might asked, "You wouldn't go easy on a woman?"

"If anyone challenged me, then I'd go all out against them. They're the ones with enough courage to challenge me, why would I spit in their face about it and pull punches. If it was a real match, it wouldn't matter to me. The only reason I think Uraraka doesn't have a chance is because of their quirks and how ruthless Bakugo will be. Not because she's a girl," Ace replied honestly. All Might smiled.

"That's a good opinion, there, Ace-san," he said simply and the match started.

Ace was sure no one was surprised by Bakugo's tactics towards Uraraka. He clearly didn't discriminate because she was a woman, and though Ace genuinely didn't like him, he could respect that he wasn't going easy just because of that reason.

He was sure Bakugo didn't know what it was to "go easy" on someone, but still. And when the audience started booing about him being too harsh on her, he looked up at the many rocks she'd made float and scoffed. Then Eraser Head scolded them. The man was boring and cold, but at least he was right on what he said, about Bakugo not going easy because he wanted to be number one, and if they didn't get that then to pack up and go home.

But, he was never expecting her to win, no matter what tricks she pulled. And one explosion was enough for all of her plans to be for naught, and she was thrown backwards from the explosion.

Ace was a bit surprised that he went this hard against her but had seemed to be weaker against him. It was interesting. Maybe he learned from Ace's fight that he had to go all out or he'd lose, no matter who the opponent was or what their ability was. But she still didn't give up, even though Ace could tell her body was exhausted and she wouldn't last much longer. He sighed when she collapsed.

"She fought well, despite her quirks disadvantage," All Might said. "Young Uraraka is tough and strong willed. She didn't give up." Ace nodded, along with the others in the box, some had left earlier but Thirteen, Ectoplasm, and Snipe were still there while Vlad King had left a while ago. The others were either commentating or doing other jobs regarding the festival. Ace was glad he was allowed to sit in there.

He felt welcome here, which was good. If he'd landed somewhere horrible, it would have sucked and he'd have been even more miserable. At least here he had something to do and free food and shelter. And free fights. He wanted to fight All Might again.

But sometimes, All Might's presence faltered just a bit. Grew a small or a lot weaker before it went back to normal. Ace had a feeling something more than a missing stomach had been done to him. Hopefully it would get better for him. Ace didn't know if he could be a pro-hero if he was weaker than he was now.

He was shaken out of his thoughts when the real matches began. He leaned forward when Todoroki and Freckles came on stage, both looking determined while Todoroki also looked hollow and angry at the same time. Freckles looked nervous, but after the other's show of power earlier, it was to be expected. Especially since the ice user had lost control earlier.

And Freckles was way out of his league, but he'd managed the first match despite being at a disadvantage. He looked to the side briefly to see All Might looking worried, his smile just a little bit less than usual. He was worried about Freckles, too.

He turned back to watch the match, hoping the kid didn't hurt himself too bad. His fingers were already injured. Not healed all the way yet. Other teachers had filed in, and Ace ended up losing his seat, since he wasn't supposed to be there in the first place, so he watched while leaning against the side wall.

The literal first second the match started, Freckles sacrificed the use of one of his fingers. Ace put his hand to his face and sighed. If that was the only way for him to keep a distance and safe from the ice, his hands were going to be mangled by the end. If all of them were broken, could Recovery Girl even heal them fully? Or wouldn't there be long term damage?

Hopefully this didn't backfire for him badly. But it showed he was damn determined. And desperate. Another finger was broken and useless on the second attack. He had 10 fingers. Two gone, eight to go. Well, he'd already broken two of them in the previous fight. And if he ended up using a full arm, he couldn't believe that damage or pain it would cause.

Ace was reckless, but he also had control over his powers to back his recklessness up. He'd gotten better at controlling his impulses over the years and time of being a commander, but still. Like the whole cave thing, he charged right on it without thinking. Not that any of them expected this to happen just from walking through a cave entrance.

Another finger. And another. All fingers on one hand were gone except the thumb. He hoped he wouldn't use his thumb. Seems like that would be the most detrimental to lose. He wasn't losing them completely, but he was messing them up, relying too much on Recovery Girl. "He relies too much on Recovery Girl's power," Ace commented. All Might sighed and a few teachers agreed.

Ace grumbled that Freckles used a finger that was already injured and healing from his last match! What was he thinking! But, what else could he do? This wasn't a match where he could use the tips Ace had given him. He couldn't get close to Todoroki enough to be able to use them.

But then, his foot got caught in the ice, and he used his entire arm to push Todoroki away. Then Ace gasped, totally recognizing that move from when he fought All Might, being pushed back by that kind of wind. Somehow their quirks were the same, though the pro-hero could control his and Freckles couldn't.

All Might looked to the side and saw Ace's recognition face, eyes wide and eyebrows raised. He looked worried. But Ace would tell no one. He knew tons of important information about Ace that he didn't say. His water weakness, being a pirate, his bounty, what actions he'd done that heroes detested.

Ace turned his gaze away and muttered, "Your secret is safe with me," before he turned back to the match, and saw that Freckles' entire left arm was out of commission. Todoroki attacked again, though one of his arms looked a bit injured. Nowhere near as bad as Freckles.

When another lance of ice went towards the disadvantaged teen, Ace asked what the hell he was doing when he used an already broken finger. He couldn't keep it in, and All Might was sweating badly by now. His smile was forced, looking hard to keep up anymore. The other teachers were concerned as well with how Freckles was treating his body. It was what you should protect most! You can't be as good a hero if your fingers and arms are mangled so badly Recovery Girl can't fix them!

Ace could barely hear what Freckles was saying down there, but whatever it was, he was angry and determined. Not about the match it seemed, but about something else that shocked Todoroki. And pissed Endeavor off on the other side of the stadium.

Whatever Freckles said got on Todoroki's bad side and he rushed forward, only slower and slightly off balance. It was easy to see by looking at his right side, the one he favored. And Ace winced when Freckles used the not-already broken arm to punch, hurting his fingers in the process, though he landed a solid blow that threw the ice user back, though not far enough to be out of the ring. Todoroki attacked again, but was slower.

Then Freckles used his broken fingers again. Which had been mangled twice already. "Shouldn't someone stop him?" Ace asked, eyes wide. "Can Recovery Girl even fix something like this?" He looked to All Might, who looked incredibly conflicted. It was clear he cared about the kid a lot, and his success, but was it worth the price of permanently damaging his fingers? Which matters more, his health and safety or his pride. So he asked that question. Nobody answered, though they all looked concerned. Nobody looked more conflicted than All Might, though.

But then Ace felt like a hypocrite. He fought with terrible wounds all the time. But there was a big difference. Ace fought injured when it mattered, when he was up against an opponent who wanted to take his life. Ace had no other option, he couldn't run away just because he was hurt. But here, it was a competition. Sure, his pride was on the line, but Ace disagreed with this. Ignoring pain isn't always the good thing to do.

In desperate situations, it was a must. Definitely, but this was not! Why wasn't anybody stopping him?! _That little idiot!_ Ace couldn't help think when Freckles ran out of fingers that were usable, he went to using his thumb and his mouth, making it so his thumb snapped forward from the outside of his mouth to blow another attack at Todoroki.

Their conversation continued, but this time he was loud enough to hear, and was telling his opponent he should go all out? And he wasn't saying it in a cocky voice like Ace would have, he sounded angry but not in the way Ace ever got. It was hard to explain, and he wasn't sure what the point of it was. If Todoroki went any harder, there was no doubt that Freckles would lose this match.

But he was distracted and Freckles landed another hit. Whatever he shouted next, made Todoroki look shocked. Ace sensed a sudden shift in his presence. "He's going to start using more of his power. I think this fight is over already," Ace mumbled, not really saying it for anyone else to listen to. Then Todoroki erupted into flames, and Ace grinned. He never got to see other people using flames, of course, and pressed his hands against the window.

While they weren't refined and were on his body and not made of it, they were strong and would definitely cause major burns. Ace was pretty impressed. This fight had lots of twists and turns, even if he was frustrated with Freckles' detrimental tactics. "Wow," he muttered.

"Weird to see someone else using a flame ability?" Thirteen asked. Ace nodded.

"Our flames are different, but those are some pretty strong ones. He's smiling, so it might be different from mine. My flames get real nasty if I'm angry. Maybe his flames get nasty if he's happy. Hopefully he can control it alright."

Snipe asked, "You can't control them when you're angry?" in worry, like Ace had a temper that could burn something down on the spot.

Ace shook his head and replied, "They get hotter when I'm angry, I don't lose control. As hot as I can go before the flame turns white. I've never been able to get that hot." But he couldn't say anything else before all of them looked worried. Todoroki had definitely powered up now, and clearly wasn't going to hold back. Ace was sure that Freckles would have long term, first degree burns if he took the brunt of that flame attack.

Even flames not as hot as the ones he was using would cause lifelong, debilitating burns. Ace knew that first hand after doing it himself many times. "They need to stop them," Thirteen said, and the others all agreed, their hands clenching. Recovery Girl wouldn't be able to fix the burns. Not completely.

Finally, Cementos interfered, putting up multiple walls to block the moves, which then were shattered by the force of both attacks, throwing Midnight and Cementos from the stage. Wind pushed against everything and everyone, but not through the glass window that Ace was behind.

Once the dust cleared, Freckles was sadly out of bounds, and passed out. Good. There was no way he'd be able to fight another match. Todoroki seemed shocked. The fight was more intense than he thought it'd be, but the result was still the same. Freckles did have a strategy, but it was a dangerous one that he probably didn't think through completely, relying on Recovery Girl to fix him up later. "He fought valiantly. Both of them," Ace muttered. "I just hope Freckles will be okay."

All Might got up, probably to go check on his favorite. Ace took his seat now that there was one open. "Even though he doesn't live here, and you don't want to be a hero and save people you don't know or care about, why are you so concerned and invested in the kids? And All Might." Ectoplasm asked behind him.

"They are good distractions, but it's also fun to see people improve in front of your eyes. But, I won't be here long enough to really see much improvement, though Freckles used a move I showed him, so that was nice to see," Ace replied honestly. None of them got upset for calling the kids a distraction, probably knowing how he felt while being separated by his family.

They seemed to get him and his personality, and weren't annoyed with his presence. That was nice. "So you're helping them for free?"

Ace turned and said, "Money isn't the best thing in the world. I think good experiences are more important and cause more long term happiness than money does. You can always get more money, but you can't get an experience you just passed up on." He added, "My family has a lot of money, but we value other things more." Nobody asked what the other things were.

He asked a question this time, seeing Todoroki's fire side of his outfit was burnt away. "So your clothes don't change with your quirk? His clothes are burned away, and the girl with the invisible power has to wear special clothes to be completely invisible."

"No, you need special clothes to use with your quirks. That's why some costumes are different from others," Thirteen said. Ace hummed.

"Well that's inconvenient. Devil fruit users' clothes change with them. That's why nothing I wear burns, and why zoans can turn into animals and their clothes stretch or shrink with them." Then he stood up and went to walk out. "I'm gonna go talk to Todoroki about his flames," so they knew where he went if All Might came back.

Everyone was distracted after the last fight, so it was easy to get down and head to where he could tell Todoroki was now that he was more powered up it seemed. He passed a somehow _more_ cranky Endeavor, and ignored him, walking to the break rooms to find Todoroki sitting in the chair, looking exhausted.

Ace sat across from him. "I know I don't have a right to be in here, but I wanted to tell you your flames were really impressive. I think you'll become super strong with them, and with the ice it'll make you even stronger. I just wanted to tell you, as a fellow fire user, I was impressed," Ace said with a grin.

Todoroki smiled a small smile. "That was by far the most interesting match so far, even if I don't like how much Freckles hurt himself," he added.

"I know you helped Midoiya with his hand to hand. Will you… help me control my flames?" he asked awkwardly. "While you're still here?"

Ace said, "I promised Freckles I was gonna help him out but then I disappeared for awhile, but I have nothing to do here, so I'd be happy to help you out. You don't want to learn from Endeavor?" Todoroki shook his head. "Well, I don't blame you. He always looks cranky and like he has a stick shoved up his ass."

Todoroki started laughing, the first time Ace had seen or heard him say that. "Nobody would dare say that here."

"Well, I'm just passing by. I have no reason to be polite to him if he doesn't return the favor. I'm not nice like that," Ace said honestly. Todoroki said he seemed pretty nice. "In this world I have to be. In the other world, I can be quite the ass to enemies. But it's fun. I know it's immature, but it's fun to piss off an enemy as long as you know you can take them while they're furious.

"I can tell that's not exactly how the heroes here think, but I have no desire to be one, so it's fine for me," Ace finished. Todoroki nodded and said he'd never come across someone with the mindset like Ace. Ace said it was probably because of the difference between where they lived. That was obvious. He said he was going to go watch the next match. "I get to sit in the teacher's box. It's pretty cool. Nobody would let me in since I came late so I chilled on the roof for a few minutes before All Might let me in."

Todoroki asked if he was always a rule breaker. "Depends on the rules," Ace said simply. "I'll see you later and we can figure out when to train. It'll be boring at first, I'll tell you that," he added with a grin.

"Fine by me," the new-fire user said. Ace walked out and back to the stadium where he got to sit. When he was back, Thirteen asked how it went. "He asked me to help him get control of the flames."

"Oh, Endeavor won't like that," Vlad King said, having come back from wherever he was for the last hour. Ace shrugged, saying it wasn't his problem and that Todoroki had been the one to ask in the first place.

"I'm just helping a student, right?" Ace asked with a smirk. "Helping them is what workers here do, correct? Even if I'm not permanent, it's nice helping out here. So as long as I'm welcome I'll do it." Then he turned back to the stage, which was mostly fixed by then. Cementos was pretty useful.

He did wonder how Freckles was doing. Based on what he'd seen from a distance, of his arms that weren't even straight anymore and were purple like he was internally bleeding, Ace could tell it would be a hard recovery. He sighed. He did his best, even if it hurt him badly. He would need to get control of the quirk before he could dream of being a hero. Surely you had to have control over your power to use it to help others?

It was another short match, even though it was round two as Iida easily pushed Shiozaki, the girl with vines for hair, out of the ring. Well, he didn't think anything could compare to the last match. Another was out of bounds immediately with Dark Shadow from Tokoyami pushing Ashido out before she could do anything, the shadow monster dodging her acid.

The next match was Bakugo and Kirishima, and they were both doing well. But then, unsurprisingly, Bakugo became ruthless and Kirishima was losing the constant explosions. "Why does he keep telling others to die?" Ace wondered.

All Might walked in and Ace gave up his seat again, even though the man offered for Ace to continue to sit while he stood. "Young Bakugo gets too enthusiastic sometimes. I doubt he'd actually kill anyone who is not a villain. But even then, killing villains is not the right thing to do here." Ace noticed the "here", meaning it was _this_ world that had that rule.

He knew Ace's world had a lot of death.

Bakugo won when Kirishima couldn't move anymore, and made it to the last round, meaning he was going up against Todoroki. Ace had no doubt. But during the match with Sero and Todoroki, the fire and ice user was angry and determined. Now, whatever Freckles said got to him, and he wondered if he was still aiming for the top, or he had lost his drive for that day.

Well, they'd all see soon enough. And he felt he was right when Todoroki took a hit that he could have avoided easily when Iida supercharged his pipe legs - engine! It was called an engine! - and made a very swift kick. But then Ace saw he'd frozen the pipes without Iida noticing. The match was over once he was frozen and unable to move or fight anymore.

Ace wondered why all of the matches seemed so short compared to Freckles and Todoroki's. Hopefully the last match wouldn't be too disappointing, even if he saw less resolve in Todoroki's body language.

Bakugo fought Tokoyami next. And he won by being ruthless. Ace would not want to be a villain in this world and fight Bakugo. If Ace hadn't been through so much and so many enemies, he would be apprehensive about even being near the hot head. But he was strong. Though he really needed to work on his temper.

Professionals were watching, right? If he was so pissed, it might look bad for him. It didn't seem like he had an off switch. Even when he wasn't fighting or arguing, he looked pissed off at the air. There was nothing he didn't seem to be pissed off by. But, he won quickly again. Next was the final fight. Bakugo was super charged up, wanting to be number one. Ace felt Todoroki was not.

Finally, the last match, and Ace was closer to the window now as he saw Todoroki and Bakugo standing on the stage. Again, his suspicions were back about both of their attitudes. Todoroki always looked a bit bored and blank, but now he didn't look anything like his demeanor in previous matches. And Bakugo was the opposite.

But the former did form an ice coffin so to speak that covered one third of the stage. Only he was clearly more focused and being careful than last time when he almost impaled part of the audience. Bakugo blew his way out. He threw Todoroki, but he caught himself and slid on a sort of ramp he made of ice.

He was able to grab Bakugo with his left hand, but he hesitated, and Ace could tell he wasn't going to use his flames, and he didn't, just throwing his opponent away. By doing that, he proved he respected Freckles more as a rival, going all out on _him_ but not Bakugo. Maybe a friendship had been formed between them. After all, it was something Freckles said that caused Todoroki to use his flames for what he assumed was the first time based on his reaction.

Then Eraser Head said what Ace was thinking. Todoroki was not giving his all, had dulled. He just wasn't into the fight like Bakugo demanded he be. And after a short burst of flames, they dissipated and he stopped fighting. And he lost by a huge explosion coming from Bakugo, and ended up out of bounds.

"Uh oh," Ace couldn't help but say. The others nodded. Bakugo was pissed now. More than he was before. He had that rivalry between himself and Freckles, and having Todoroki go all out on him and not Bakugo probably wounded his sensitive pride. So sensitive if it was touched with too much pressure it would explode.

He went to harass the unconscious Todoroki, shouting at him about not fighting fair, but then Midnight used her sleeping gas on him. It was kind of pathetic, and Ace knew that he himself wouldn't be happy with winning a match where the other didn't try. But still, going off about it in front of thousands, maybe millions, was a bit embarrassing.

But he couldn't help feel for his frustration. "That must be so frustrating, to win like that," he said.

"Especially since young Todoroki went so hard at young Midoriya, only to not do all he could against young Bakugo. How frustrating indeed," All Might agreed, also clearly feeling sympathetic. Then he left the box to go to the field and give the awards. After jumping off the roof.

When the three winners were shown, Ace snorted at Bakugo. He was in chains, thick chains, and thrashing around. He even had some sort of muzzle. If Ace was a kid still, he would have probably killed or beaten up whoever tried to chain him. But he wouldn't be this furious, explosive behavior, he'd give cold stares promising death on whoever had done that to him.

Bakugo was entertaining when he was mad, but he wouldn't say that. He could just think it privately. And the sport's festival was over, and he had another fun story to tell his brothers when he next got home.


	11. Lemillion

**Anime_Moon00: Thank you! I'm glad it wasn't too long and annoying. It sure took forever to write through. I have a new appreciation to the people who write memory fics that go through the whole plot. How time consuming! I didn't even realize I put the chapter breaks so far from each other and didn't realize I put it all in one chapter, but I really am glad it wasn't too long and boring.**

**Carimes_treehouse: Thanks I'm glad you liked it. I like writing exasperated Ace lol.**

**Adamari2001: I'm so relieved people liked it. Well, I didn't get any feedback at ff.net, but my ao3 readers weren't disappointed, so that's nice lol.**

**Guest 3: So much stuff is still to happen! I'll give one spoiler. Somebody does come with him into the MHA world. Have fun guessing who and why!**

**Otaku_Girl2176: Thank you! Ace shows his attitude in this one, his beautiful sarcasm. It was so fun to write him like this.**

* * *

**Here comes in one of our main characters from the BNHA world! I love him, he's an angel. He's in my top 3 including Hawks and Todoroki. And we have Ace being a little shit to a certain villain. Ah it was fun to write. Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace was napping on the roof of the stadium long after everyone was gone and had cleaned up. Classes were in session at the moment and Ace just wanted to relax and feel the breeze up there. It was when he felt a presence below him that he woke.

"Who is it?" Ace asked with a yawn. It didn't feel like a negative presence. A head popped out of the stadium roof and soon arms followed as he easily pulled himself up. His hair looked similar to Thatch's, but was not nearly as long. And he was blonde.

"Oh they were right! Everybody's been saying that you know where people are without seeing them! That's impressive," the stranger said. He seemed like an upperclassman, which he hadn't met yet. He wasn't part of helping with their hero courses, just the younger ones.

Ace looked him up and down. "You seem pretty powerful. And that quirk also seems quite useful. Who are you?" he asked, now sitting cross legged. He introduced himself as Togata Mirio, but said Ace could call him Mirio. "What's your hero name?"

"Lemillion. It's nice to meet you. I heard you're pretty overpowered," Mirio said in good nature. Ace laughed, and said _here_ he was. In his world, he was strong but definitely not near the strongest.

"You seem pretty powerful yourself. Above everyone here I've met besides the teachers. And you're better than at least a few of those," Ace said, thoroughly interested. He wondered how his quirk would work on Ace. If he could move through things like he just had, what would happen with haki. "What is your quirk?"

"Permeation. I become intangible and can phase through most things," he explained honestly.

Ace asked him to try on him. Wanting to see what would happen. "Not fight fully, but I want to know if your power works on me, since I become intangible too if something passes through me. Though I can't pass through other objects, they pass through me," Ace explained, excited to see the most powerful quirk of a student he'd seen so far.

And it wasn't just his quirk that seemed to make him strong. He looked very fit, and gave off more of a strong presence than just his power. "Sure! Why not?" he asked cheerifly and thrust his arm into Ace's stomach. It was interesting, as it seems both of their powers were reacting at the same time. It was hard to explain.

"Oh? That's interesting!" Mirio said. "I can't tell if I'm passing through you with my power or your own." Ace asked him to try again, and covered his arm in haki. Mirio was more than happy with trying his moves against Ace. He reminded him of Thatch. So cheerful seeming and harmless looking with his bright smile.

He thrust his hand at Ace's haki covered arm. It passed through, but with a great deal of resistance and then threw him back out like Ace and he were the opposite sides of magnets. "You're the first one who was able to bypass any of my armament haki," Ace said. "That's interesting, I may have someone I can actually go all out on. If we were to spar, that is," he added. He still hadn't gotten up. "So, how old are you?"

"Almost 19. I'll be graduating this year, but still have a long way to go to be a pro-hero. I just wanted to meet you, for multiple reasons. One, of course, being interested in your powers and story. Most of the school has heard something. Might not all be accurate though," Mirio said happily, sitting in front of Ace and looking completely comfortable. He really did remind Ace of Thatch. If he liked to cook, Ace would be concerned.

"What's the second reason?" Ace wondered.

Mirio smiled and said, "My master, Sir Nighteye, is very thankful for you for some reason. Something you did made him very happy, and I wanted to thank you for making him smile, even if it was small."

Ace thought about what he might have been thankful for, and there was only one reason he could think of. "Because my world healed All Might's injury? It was my brother, not me," he said. Mirio looked confused. "Oh, I guess I shouldn't have said that. Well, my brother helped All Might out with a bad injury. He's completely healed, though. All of his underlying health problems are gone as well," he said proudly.

"Wow! That's amazing! Sir Nighteye used to be All Might's sidekick, so I could see why he was thankful for that!" Mirio said enthusiastically. "Do you mind me asking how he did it? Just for curiosity's sake." Ace nodded and explained what Marco could do and had done for multiple people, including All Might.

Mirio was a nice guy, Ace could tell almost immediately. "Do you want to come meet Sir Nighteye? Then he could thank you in person," the young man asked happily. Ace shook his head.

"I'm not allowed to leave the campus. They say it's because of my safety, that the Villains are after me. I know it's because I can't be trusted. I'm not a hero and have powerful abilities. Plus, I've openly said I don't want to be a hero," Ace said truthfully. "I've only been off campus once. I didn't mind going off, but I also don't mind staying on." Mirio frowned at that, but didn't ask any questions about Ace not wanting to be a hero. For someone as enthusiastic as this guy seemed to be, he was surprised to not be asked why he doesn't want to be a hero.

He leaned back and asked, "You don't get bored? There's not much to do here most times." Ace shrugged

"Helping All Might with the kids is a good distraction. Before this time, I was mopey and depressed. It was embarrassing, but I missed my family. But, now I have a better outlook of being here. It's an adventure nobody in my world can go on besides me. It's pretty cool if I don't think about my family," he said with a smile, truly glad he wasn't depressed about it anymore. His resolve had hardened under the encouragements he'd gotten from his brothers and father.

Mirio said it was too bad he couldn't leave. "It's fine. But, if I end up staying here for weeks at a time instead of a couple days, then it will get pretty boring, so I'm hoping that won't be the case. It will be better once I start helping out Todoroki and Freckles once he gets better. That fool," Ace couldn't help but say.

The other asked what the problem was, curiously, not rudely or anything negative. "You watched the sport's festival?"

"Of course."

Ace sighed. "Freckles - Midoriya - what did you think of his fight?" Mirio frowned, agreeing with Ace that it had been foolish to damage his fingers that badly. One break was bad enough, but two or three on each finger was just masochistic.

The student said, "I think he gave it his all. But sometimes that is not the right thing to do in certain situations. I do hope he won't have long term damage. And I hope he gets control of his quirk soon. Especially since internships will be happening not long from now."

Ace's interest perked up. "Internships? Like, small jobs?" He wasn't sure how an internship would work with super powers. Plus, there wasn't anything like that at home. Well, there were cabin boys on pirate ships and marine ships. So maybe that was closest to being an intern.

Mirio nodded and explained, "Hero internships are where a student can accompany and assist a pro-hero or organization. That's why students try their very best at the sports festival. For most of them, it's a chance to shine, show what they can do so they would peak the interests of professionals."

Ace snorted. "You think anyone is gonna take Bakugo?" Mirio laughed, saying there was potential in anybody. "He needs to fix his temper. It's like he's angry at everything around him. I mean, I was like that when I was younger, but was in a very different environment. So I can sort of understand if he had family issues. Still, I didn't exactly need to make a good impression on anybody." Mirio was easy to talk to, and he listened with an open mind, his face showed that. And he was the most mature and oldest student he'd met here so far.

Mirio nodded in agreement. "There are almost always outside factors. But yes, control over yourself and your abilities is a must to be a pro-hero. I like to think everyone has capability to overcome their issues and shine."

Ace grinned. "You remind me of my brother. But less of an idiot," he said with a laugh. "I hope you don't cook or that would be too much." Mirio said he didn't cook, and curiously asked why he reminded him of his brother. "You just seem like the kind of guy you would go to if you're upset, open minded and all around nice. I know I just met you, but I feel I can read people well. So it was nice meeting you," Ace said honestly. "Plus, your hair is similar to his."

Mirio smiled. "That was very nice of you to say. You seem like a good guy as well. With determination. I admire how you've adjusted over just a few weeks since coming here. Hopefully you will get to leave campus some time."

"Thanks," Ace replied. "And even though I don't want to be and am not hero material, it would be interesting to see more of this society. Everything is so organized. And doesn't seem corrupt." Mirio looked confused, so Ace told him about the world government and marines, and how they saw the common people.

He was horrified, especially at keeping slaves. Ace nodded, saying it was a mess. And he'd only noticed it more after being here. After all, he hadn't known any different, that there could be a just government that treated everyone equally. That wasn't ruled over by snobby ingrates who didn't care for any life.

Yeah, Ace did bad things. He'd killed people. But he didn't take pleasure in being cruel to innocent people who had done nothing to die or be taken away. "I hate the celestial dragons. I hope they all die," he hissed. Then he blinked, and apologized. "I'm sorry, it's a personal issue. They killed my brother for no reason when he was 12."

Mirio said, "I completely understand. They sound like they make your world a worse place." Ace was surprised someone so enthusiastic about being a hero would be fine with someone else hoping others would die. He was interesting, and Ace hoped they could be friends. All Might was good, but he didn't feel like a "friend". Well, in the sense that Ace wanted someone close to his age.

Mirio stood up and shook Ace's hand, saying he needed to get his things to go to his job working with Sir Nighteye. "It was nice to meet you, and I hope we can become friends, Ace-kun," he said with a bright smile. Ace told him to just call him Ace. He phased down into the floor and Ace heard his footsteps going down the stairs or bleachers.

It had been a good day. He was happy about that. This visit had started out fun, and he made a friend. He laid back down on the roof and napped some more.

-x-

Ace was carrying filing cabinets from one office to another after part of the building sustained water damage, so they were moving everything to get out of the water and out of the way to fix the floor and wall. Ace had nothing else to do, as all of the students had gone to the dorms and Todoroki hadn't said when he wanted to train. He also wasn't going to work with Freckles until he was healed. He wouldn't risk hurting him, even though it might be a good lesson on what not to do.

It was two days after the sports festival and offers were still coming in for first years about the internship. He heard Cementos comment on it, and couldn't help but ask a question. "What is Sir Nighteye's agency like? Mirio really admires him, and apparently he likes me for getting All Might treatment."

After the sports festival, Ace found himself being spoken to by the instructors more than before. Maybe it was because they got a better look at who he was based on all of the conversations they'd had. Ace himself felt he'd shown he was layered and not some mopey or excited young man. But he was smart and strong and nice. And also that he wasn't afraid to admit he didn't think he was a good person.

He felt that that helped him. "Oh, you talked to young Togata?" Ace nodded, saying he thought they could be good friends and got along well. "It organizes heroes who are on duty to protect the people, hiring sidekicks. He used to be my sidekick, but we had a falling out over the injury. But since I've been healed, we've rekindled a bit. He has the power of foresight. He can see the future of any person he touches for an hour."

"So he's like a living detector for criminal futures? He can just touch someone and see their futures?" All Might said that was the jist of it. Ace wondered what he'd see of Ace's? Probably see some criminal activities. He'd asked All Might the day before if he could get in trouble with the law here for what he did in his world.

His answer had been, "No, there was no way anything like that from your old life would affect you here. Just like other countries don't usually meddle in others' business when it comes to criminals." Plus, Ace's world was lawless and full of danger. Anything he'd done there had nothing to do with anything he did here. As long as he committed no crimes in this world, the law would not be against him.

"Who got the most?" Ace asked curiously, setting both filing cabinets in the corner on a towel, since the bottoms were still wet.

"Young Todoroki and Bakugo," All Might said. Ace was surprised that Bakugo got so many. He asked if heroes were meant to be so angry. "A lot can change in a couple years. And young Bakugo does have resolve to be a wonderful hero. Just, perhaps not a charismatic one." Ace chuckled.

He slowly asked, "What about Freckles? He got pretty severely injured from the sports festival." He knew All Might had something more with Freckles than the other students, and hadn't seemed wary of Ace knowing something was up, even if he didn't know or was interested in what it was. So he did his best to talk positively about him. He was a nice kid, but Ace still couldn't believe how he had treated his body.

"Midoriya just now got one," Cementos said. All Might was excited until he read who it was. Then he was upset. Ace wondered who it was, but didn't ask. It wasn't his place, even if he was curious now. Even though he was on pretty friendly terms with the teachers, he wasn't one of them. He wasn't part of their world or lives.

He left to go fetch more things to move.

When he got back, All Might was gone, and Eraser Head was reading through the internship paperwork, where his students had chosen to work for the week. It would be a boring week, no class with nothing to do. Nobody to hang out with, they'd all be busy. And Mirio had a job, too. He felt a little useless.

He was in the hallway carrying a bookshelf to the room where the things would be stored when he ran into Principal Nezu. "Afternoon," Ace said with a smile.

"Wait, Ace. I've been thinking and wanted to ask you something," the headmaster said, and Ace paused, setting the empty bookshelf down easily. "I was wondering if you wanted to leave campus next week as well." Ace blinked twice.

"Where would I go?" he asked curiously. He lived here, but had no source of money, where would he want to go?

Nezu replied, "Sir Nighteye wished to see you. And along with the other students, you could take part in the internships." Ace was starting to say he wasn't interested in being a hero when the mouse said, "I know and Sir Nighteye knows you have no interest in that. But he wanted to give thanks for All Might's recovery, and said that one of his sidekicks had asked for you to come." Ace knew it was probably Mirio. "If I give permission, then you are free to leave campus. Plus, you'll always be around someone. Nobody can say you'll do something wrong if you're surrounded by others."

Ace thought for a moment. With no students there, he'd be bored out of his mind. To pass time, it sounded interesting. "Sure, why not?" he finally said. Nezu smiled and said the internships started Monday. It was Friday afternoon. The principal said he'd relay the information and have someone lead him there Monday morning. "Thanks. For taking my situation into consideration. I'd be bored out of my mind."

"You're welcome," he said simply, and Ace continued the manual labor. He wondered what kind of things they did there. Did they fight villains on a daily basis? Oh he hoped so. Maybe he'd get to fight, or he could see Mirio in action. They hadn't had a chance to spar, which Ace seemed to be looking forward to much more. He loved fighting, even if it wasn't to the death. It was fun and a good source of exercise.

That night, Ace couldn't sleep no matter what he did or didn't do, so he dropped out of the window and took a walk along the wall surrounding the massive campus. He felt much better after changing his mindset. He was going to try and enjoy his time here when he wasn't living his real life with his family. They would be disappointed if he slipped into depression again, so he would be strong for their sakes if he couldn't be strong for his own.

Once he was actually tired, he climbed back up the building and into his open window. He knew he was visible from the dorms when he did that, but he didn't care if anyone saw him. Besides, some of the teachers knew about his midnight walks and thought nothing of it. Ace was an adult, not a student.

When it was Monday morning, Ace showered and dressed in his normal clothes. He was envious of the new dorms since each until had its own bathroom, but he was the only one that actually lived in the old dorms so he got the bathroom to himself anyways.

He found Mirio by the school's gate, and saw him in his costume. "Yo, Ace!" he called and Ace walked over. "I'm glad they let you come!" Ace nodded, saying he kept the crimes at the minimum so no one noticed. It made Mirio laugh.

"Thanks for inviting me. I would have been bored to death by myself," Ace said, hands behind his head. "I got a question. Why do so many heros and kids dress in restricting outfits? Or heavy ones that would hinder you?" he wondered as they walked through the city. He kept his curiosity under control and took everything in at face value, asking no questions about anything. They were headed to Mirio's work, Ace wouldn't make them late.

Mirio responded, "That's easy! Because we want to be distinguishable. We want people to know who we are on sight, and having flashy and unique costumes helps us greatly with that. What kind of clothes do people in your world wear?" he asked curiously.

The answer made sense, since he could tell the kids apart better when they were in their silly or uncomfortable-looking costumes. "Normal people clothes, I guess. What is comfortable? A lot wear jackets, but those are mostly the high ranking marines or ship captains. I'm probably the most obvious one of our crew just by looks, with the obnoxious orange hat and no shirt."

Mirio asked why he didn't wear a shirt, saying he assumed no one had asked. "I like showing off my back tattoo. It's the mark of our family, so of course I want to show it off proudly. My other tattoo is a tribute to my dead brother and I don't want to cover that up either."

The blonde said, "It is quite a large tattoo. It looks like a skull and crossbones." Ace grew uneasy, but he had done research. This world had nothing called "pirates" in the sense that they were criminal sailors. Apparently pirating movies was just stealing. It was weird.

"Yeah, it's a weird mark, I guess," Ace admitted, hiding his momentary worry well. When they arrived at the correct building, Mirio walked in first and said that Nighteye would want to hear a joke. Well, that wasn't happening. The only jokes that Ace knew were offensive or just plain vulgar and would not say it in front of normal people with pure minds. So he just said okay.

They walked up the stairs and to a large double door that Mirio knocked on before opening. "Sir Nighteye, I've brought Ace," Mirio announced after bowing respectfully, which Ace did as well. The first thing Ace said was, "I don't have any jokes that aren't vulgar or offensive, so hopefully my humor will show when not on demand."

Mirio was looking at him in horror. But Sir Nighteye smiled. "I like your honesty. Do you know what we do here, Ace?"

"Look for bad guys," Ace said simply. Mirio looked like he couldn't understand how Ace could speak so informally with his mentor. Ace wasn't disrespectful at all, was polite and smiled, but he was probably showing too much comfort here. This guy was a bigtime hero. But Ace spoke like this with All Might, too, and he was a bigwig.

"In essence, yes. We patrol and help the FBI if there is a crime regarding villains. But you've already fought villains before, at USJ," Nighteye said, not seeming bothered by Ace's easy going attitude. Ace nodded. "And I heard you were able to control the nomu?"

Ace nodded. "Eh, 'control' isn't the best way to describe it. I guess making it scared of me enough to have it follow my command would be a better way of wording it," he explained.

Sir Nighteye nodded, and said it was very interesting, that he had multiple powers. "I won't ask you any in depth questions, as more of the top heroes involved with the school or USJ incident are familiar with the facts." Ace was glad of this, a bit tired of explaining it to everyone. "And we also know that you don't want to be a hero. That you don't have the right qualities." Ace nodded. "And you have no obligation to us to save us even if you did want to." He nodded again, not knowing where this was going.

Mirio was still looking nervous, the confidence and cheer gone. Well, this was his boss. Maybe he was more serious here than at the school? "But, while you are here, I think you could be of great help to us. You have experience and seem reliable." Ace was about to say that he already told everyone he didn't want to be a hero. "I know, you don't want to be a hero. But would you like to not be bored trapped on campus?"

Ace frowned, not knowing what the answer should be. It was true, boredom was probably his worst enemy, but he didn't want commitment like this. Not that he would be able to. "Have you talked to All Might?"

"Yes. He says you like to keep busy and active," Nighteye replied. Ace nodded. It was nothing personal or gossipy. He knew All Might would never speak of what he'd learned of Ace in his world. "Then would you like to help us out part time? After all, you disappear for varying amounts of time."

Ace thought for a moment. "Will I get to use my powers? Like, fight?"

Nighteye said, "If absolutely necessary. And you have other powers that would help. The super sense and knocking people out. Hand to hand would probably be the most often used method of fighting."

Ace finally answered. "Sure, sounds interesting." Mirio and the other one were looking at him in shock. He bowed. "Thanks for having me," and with a smile. Nighteye asked Mirio to take Ace on patrol with him. Before they both left, the boss quietly said, "Thank you for saving All Might."

"We were in his debt. One kind action deserves another, no matter your occupation," Ace replied before he and Mirio left, leaving Bubble Girl inside with him.

"Wow! You were so forward and blunt with him! I'm amazed," Mirio said enthusiastically. Ace chuckled. He said he wasn't easily intimidated, but always did his best to be polite, even if he was honest. "It took me a long time to be comfortable even making eye contact with him." Ace laughed again.

"So, what are we looking out for?" Ace asked, excited to actually be leaving campus. Now that he knew he was no longer confined, and didn't feel guilty making the best of this, he wanted to go everywhere and see new things. He would, even if those things would not all be explained while on patrol.

Mirio took out some papers, wanted posters. "This one is the one we're looking for most. But we can't take action against him, as we don't know his quirk. Restraining him with abilities is one thing but battling is another. The best thing to do is find him and then report the sighting," he said, suddenly serious. Well, it was to be expected. This was his duty. Ace was always serious when performing his own missions. This was just another, simpler one.

But, not unfamiliar. There had been plenty of stealth missions where Ace couldn't rely on his flashy, very noticeable devil fruit. Ace took the wanted poster. "This dude is creepy. 'Stain'. So, he goes after heroes? Why?" Ace questioned. The poster was a man with a ripped up bandana as a mask and what seemed like no nose. Well, he was pretty recognizable.

"Apparently he doesn't like that heroes get paid. He thinks that it is their duty to protect without getting paid or receiving promotion and attention," Mirio explained. Ace thought it was pretty stupid.

"People have to make a living," he said simply. Mirio nodded, and said that his opinions were in no way compatible with just killing them mindlessly. "What's his quirk?" Ace asked. Mirio shrugged, as nobody knew. He just killed in big groups. There was a list of the dead, and the most recent one had the last name of Iida, one of the kids in the class. He didn't know him well enough to think he'd do something reckless.

"This one, engine guy. He has a brother in class 1-A. Do you think he'd do something reckless?" Ace asked seriously.

Mirio said he didn't know anybody from that class well enough to know. Ace frowned. Well, he wasn't the watchdog for the kids, but this guy just looked like bad news even if he wasn't a serial murderer. "We have to look out for others as well, not just Stain," the hero said, and Ace looked through the other pages. These ones showed quirks of the criminals in the area.

"Hey, if we do run into one of these guys, do I have permission to use my power to restrain them? Make a wall around them to trap them. It won't hurt anybody or anything unless the villain walks through it," Ace said, looking through the photos a second time.

The blonde looked surprised. Ace grinned. "Not everything I do is destructive." He nodded, saying that it should be fine if it didn't hurt anybody. Ace wouldn't care if the bad guy was hurt, but didn't want to be a setback to the school for doing something wrong. Ugh, he felt like an underling.

Oh well. Maybe he'd lead a double life or something. This goodie two shoes guy in this world that helped people out, and a dangerous pirate who loved to fight and injure enemies, doing what he wanted for who he wanted to do it. It was almost funny. His brothers would think so, too.

"This is a rougher part of town, we can avoid it if you want," Mirio said when they reached the outskirts of the city. Ace looked at him with a deadpan face. The other just laughed. "I guess that's answer enough." They walked and Ace sensed people in alleyways, behind buildings or inside. It wasn't a destroyed part of town, but it was more run down and dirty, more trash on the streets.

He noticed a stronger presence in the nearest alleyway. "There, in that alley way there's somebody strong. Don't know who, but should we check it out?" Mirio nodded, face hard. He told Ace to call him by his hero name while he was dressed like this. Lemillion. "Okay, then call me FireFist," Ace said, playing along.

They both approached the alleyway, and walked past it calmly, but slow enough to look out of the corner of their eyes. It wasn't any of the big ones, and definitely not Stain, but Ace recognized the fact easily, as it was flat like Cementos, though green.

"That's one of them," Mirio muttered. "Can you trap him? I'll cover you." Ace nodded, though he didn't need covering, he appreciated it and knew it was how teams worked. You help one another even if the other didn't need it.

Ace raised his hand and soon a ring of fire was all around him. He started screaming. "There's no need to scream, you'll only get burnt if you try to escape," Ace said, hiding the glee in his voice.

Mirio took out his phone and called the police, saying that they'd apprehended a villain, and gave his name and their coordinates. People around had fled quickly when the fire roared and stayed there. "Let me the fuck out! Now or I'll kill you!"

"How are you going to kill us if your slime will evaporate the moment it touches the fire?" Ace asked, standing not far from the trapped man. This guy could spit slime (slime was a recurring theme among quirks) that immobilized anybody. So he was a known criminal, just not one under a spotlight at the moment.

The guy didn't respond but started crying about not wanting to go to jail. "If you didn't want to get in trouble, then you shouldn't have started in the first place," Ace reasoned, crouching next to the flames. He continued to cry until the police got there.

"You can walk into the flames and not be burnt. I'm if lying then that would be murder and I'd get in a lot of trouble," Ace said simpy, and the police officer shakily walked into the flames, able to cuff the guy and put a muzzle around his face.

Once Ace could tell he was restrained, he let the fire disappear. The officer thanked both of them, and Ace grinned. "We were successful on the first try," Ace said happily. Mirio grinned, saying that he was super helpful.

"How can you just banter with the villains?" he asked. "They don't make you uneasy?"

Ace shook his head. "I can detach myself from certain situations and remain calm. I don't get provoked easily unless it's a threat to a family member or friend. And just being there watching over them is kind of boring."

Mirio laughed. "You're weird, FireFist."

"I prefer to call it cool or unique," he replied, laughing back. Man he wished he could introduce him to Thatch, they'd get along great. Mirio would probably act more mature than the forty something year old. But Thatch was Thatch, and they loved him how he was. Immature or not.

On their way back, they passed a building on fire and Ace easily stuck his hand in the inferno to suck the flames away until it was only smoking and smoldering. Nobody had been inside. The blonde smiled for much of the rest of their time out. Ace was happy, too. He was kept busy all day, and hanging out with a nice person who he got along with well.

Ace had never been good at making friends, but after the Whitebeards, he was better at it. More approachable with his voice, words and body language. He always looked like he was leaving himself open, but never really was. So it didn't seem threatening, when he just had his hands in his pockets or behind his head.

But it was dark out when the serious stuff happened. "Hey, there's a huge fire over there! Can you put it out?" Mirio asked as they both were walking on a bridge not far from a huge fire burning down buildings.

Ace nodded, and they both sprinted to the scene, where Ace froze at the spot for a second before sucking all of the fire up. "Nomus. Why are there so many?" He jerked up in one direction, feeling Hand-Guy's gross presence. But the nomus were the problem at the moment. From what Ace had seen so far, and what the heroes knew about him, Hand-Guy was not good at long distance.

But when the fire was out and he stepped into view of the monsters, both of them cowered while pro-heroes failed to stop them. Like they knew what Ace had done to their fellow nomu. "FireFist, be careful!" Mirio shouted while he helped people out of the wreckage. He looked quite concerned.

"I'll be fine," Ace said before he let out haki, glad it was the end of the day. They cowered even more, one making squealing noises while the other was holding its arms over its head. It was almost pitiful if Ace didn't know what monsters they were. "Nomus, kill yourselves," he said simply, and barely moved out of the way as the portal guy appeared behind him. He side stepped it as the nomus tore themselves apart.

He really should have been more specific for them to go for the head instead of how they were leaving a bloody mess, ripping out their throats, guts, and faces. But, it got the job done as they each died.

"You again!"

"Yup, it's me," Ace said, hands in his short pockets. "Are you still being a bad boy and doing naughty things again?" he taunted, though it was in a flat and calm voice. He couldn't help it! But this time, other people were in danger, too. Him goofing around wasn't that great.

Hand-Guy was angry behind the single hand gripping his face. Honestly, how did he see like that? "Why are you always here?!"

"Maybe if you weren't covering your eyes with a stupid fake hand you would notice me quicker," Ace replied. He plucked the hand off of Hand-Guy's face. "Oh, yikes," he said when he saw his face, and put it back in place. Hand-Guy was _furious_ , but police had arrived at the scene after probably being called about the fire and monsters.

"I'm going to fucking kill you, just you wait!" Hand-Guy swore.

"Good luck with that," Ace said, knowing vortex guy would just take him out of any flame jail he made and that he'd get in trouble for torching the guy, even if he was a villain. Which was stupid. But, oh well. Nothing he could do about it. Ace walked back to Mirio. "Is everyone okay?" he wondered.

Mirio nodded. "The fire caused some burns but nobody is dead. Man, you totally outshined me!" he said in an annoyed voice. Ace laughed at that. "But damn, those things are creepy," the blonde said looking at the remains of the nomu. "They sure were scared of you." Ace said that maybe their friend had passed it along.

"Can we go?" Ace asked, not liking being around so many law enforcers when he wasn't allowed to fight back. But there was no reason for him to fight them if they weren't targeting him. He _wasn't_ a criminal here. He had to keep reminding himself of that. And he didn't feel the urge to hurt or steal anything. He wasn't a completely impulsive pirate that just couldn't help doing bad things.

He was a reasonable one (most times). "No, we have to give a report." Ace's shoulders slumped but the two walked to the police cars. There was nobody to arrest there, so they just talked about the fire and monsters. Ace tried to keep himself out of it as much as possible, but he was the one to do most of what happened.

He explained that he had a fire power and put the flames out himself. And that the nomus were afraid of him and killed themselves when he told them to. "What's your hero name?" Ace put his hands up.

"I'm not a hero. I was just a lucky guy to come across this situation. I don't even have a hero name," he said, insisting. They asked for his name at least. It didn't matter, his identity wasn't in any database in the world. "Portgas D. Ace." When he was asked his address, Ace told them he lived at U.A.

This was uncomfortable. But the two were able to leave without much attention, those who were at the scene too shaken up to approach them. Poor people. First there was a fire and then the creepy monsters. And there were three more of them. Meaning that the bad guys, the league of villains, had made more of them. Were they bred or created some other way? Either way, it was gross and their exposed brains were not something he thought anyone would want to see.

Mirio was shaken up, shocked by the events. "What's wrong?" Ace asked. Mirio smiled.

"We saved a lot of people today. You put out a fire and killed some monsters," he corrected. "You don't need to feel like or act like a hero. You just put out a fire and killed some creepy beasts. Right?" Ace grinned and nodded. Mirio really was a great guy.

They headed back to the headquarters, as it was late now, later than they were supposed to be back. When they got back, Nighteye was looking at his laptop, this amazing contraption that was like a video den den power upped and sent a bazillion years into the future. He had no concept of how it was made or what the internet was other than some sort of man made magic.

"Well you two sure were busy," Nighteye said. Mirio nodded, saying they'd got a villain before going to put out the fire and finding the nomu. "Ace, you were caught on camera." Ace huffed. "It showed you putting out the fire and then facing the nomu before it cut to black."

Ace sighed. "I hope this doesn't mean I'm all over the news. I don't want to be a hero, people better not start calling me one." Mirio patted his back.

Nighteye said, "Well, hero or not, you both had a successful day. I'll see you two tomorrow morning?"

"Yeah."

"Yes, sir."

And they both walked back to U.A. talking about more trivial things. Mirio tried to explain "modern technology" to Ace, who just didn't have the mindset to understand any of it. "I will probably never understand the internet, I think you should give up on it."

"I never give up."

"Even on stupid things?"

"Even on stupid things."


	12. Falling Into Step Further

**Anime_Moon00: Mirio is def MHA world Thatch. Such a fluffy marshmallow. Love him!**

**Adamari2000: The WB who comes has an unexpected reason to go with Ace. A touching one, seriously.**

**Otaku_Girl2176: I feel like I definitely sometimes wrote Ace as the big brother for Mirio in some of the more upsetting scenes with them later. So sweet, both of them.**

**Carimes_treehouse: Ace was much better making friends after joining the Whitebeards, and even more charismatic. He had to charm some people lol.**

* * *

**I had SO MUCH FUN writing the next chapter. It's for the final exams, and you can bet Ace is involved against the students. Jeez, I think everyone will enjoy it. SO much fun. I also loved writing the provisional license exam, which Ace also takes part in! Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace got up the next morning feeling great. He'd slept better than he had in a while. Maybe because he actually did stuff yesterday other than some walking around and talking to people. He was supposed to meet Mirio out front at 9:00 AM but instead found him in the hallway of the teachers' lounge and office.

"What's up?" Ace asked with a yawn.

"There's a meeting about last night. Apparently a lot more happened after we left. There was a third nomu, and they got this one alive. And then Endeavor caught the Hero Killer Stain. We left before the real mess went down. It's just lucky you were able to get two of the nomus so they didn't overwhelm - what's wrong?"

Ace realized he'd been scowling. He'd wanted to fight Stain. He wanted to fight others with different quirks! Man, stupid Endeavor. Well, he wasn't competing with him, he just wished he had been able to take down Stain with him. "Nothing. It's nothing. Are we still going to Nighteye's today?"

Mirio shook his head. "Canceled for today from everything that's been going on. For some reason a couple of the first years got into trouble as well and are in the hospital." Ace raised his brows, and asked who. "Midoriya, Todoroki and Iida." Ace was surprised with that group. Well, he didn't know what had happened, and if Mirio didn't already, it probably wasn't made public.

He wasn't going to ask unnecessary questions that didn't concern him. He sighed internally. So many rules here that he had to follow to not get in trouble. Surely it was already illegal to have an undocumented person helping with hero internships and a school. Well, he just had to behave and make sure he did nothing to warrant him losing shelter there.

The door slid open and Mirio and Ace were ushered inside. Ace had seen all of these people before, most in person after the USJ incident. This time, he wasn't asleep and he was dressed and not in pajamas. Last time had been embarrassing. He sat down next to All Might, who was looking stressed. His hair was a bit droopy.

Mirio was very nervous, fidgeting in his seat, that seemingly unwavering confidence and cheer absent. Ace just looked fine, not nervous. He had no reason to be, he'd done nothing wrong. "So, as you know, you two were at the scene of chaos last night. Burning buildings, nomus and the League of Villains. Can you give us a more in depth version of what had happened?" Best Jealist asked.

Since Mirio looked like he was about to piss himself, Ace spoke. "I was helping Mirio on patrol after Nighteye invited me to help him there part time, and we were walking back to headquarters when we saw the fire. So we hurried there since I can put out fires, and there were two nomus attacking people. So I told them to kill themselves again, like at USJ. After that, Hand-G - Shigaraki- was there. And then he left. We gave our report and went back to headquarters and then walked back here to eat and sleep."

Endeavor was there, no surprise, since he helped with the third nomu and Stain that night. He didn't seem as pissy as he usually did, so that was good. Ace wasn't fond of nasty glares when he couldn't push their buttons more. "The nomus were terrified of you before you told them to kill themselves," Best Jeanist pointed out.

Ace looked down and said, "Maybe they somehow knew I'd gotten the original nomu killed. Or maybe they were just scared of me because they could tell I was bad news for them. I don't know the answer, I just know that that is probably the easiest way to kill them. They're very strong. So using them as a weapon against themselves seemed like the quickest tactic to stop them going on a rampage."

Endeavor said, "They have more than one quirk. And even using fire didn't kill them in the end. They are practically invincible. I do think the only way to kill them quickly is to make them kill themselves." Wow, he was in a great mood if he was sort of complementing Ace.

All Might agreed. "Only they know how to kill themselves immediately. Last time, the first nomu went for the brain. This time they had wounds across the rest of their bodies. One had even ripped off its arm before going for the brain." He turned to Ace. "Your haki power is incredibly useful against them."

Ace grew uncomfortable. But then the topic changed. "Shigaraki Tomura was spotted there twice. Once by Ace and someone recording their phone, and one by a news helicopter. But one of them showed you speaking to him. What were you saying?"

Ace grimaced and his face turned red. "He got mad that I was there again. I kinda made fun of him a little bit and then he disappeared, swearing that he'd kill me, after he noticed the authorities arrive," he said awkwardly.

Mirio looked just as uncomfortable, lips pressed together tightly. The others sighed. Well, Ace wasn't a hero, he didn't need to act that way. Ace looked up to see the heroes had pretty much instantly moved on, since taunting him had not led to anything else happening at the time. And clearly Ace knew it was immature by his reaction to his own words.

He was glad they left it be. "The original nomu that was caught has been examined closely. It has multiple different types of DNA of humans. That's why they seem to have more than one quirk, as had been seen before Ace showed up and the one that was apprehended alive." Ace looked and was shocked. Humans weren't supposed to react to haki like that.

"What is it, Ace-san?" All Might asked, noticing the change in Ace's demeanor.

"They aren't humans anymore. Haki doesn't work like that against humans. Only beasts. It's difficult to even tame a pet. They have to be beasts," he said quietly.

Gang Orca, who's name Ace finally memorized, replied, "They have human DNA, but anyone can see they are no longer human and don't respond to any external stimulus other than something to kill. They are not people anymore." Ace nodded, glad they trusted that he was being up front about how conquerors haki worked.

"With the arrest of Stain in such a way, the League of Villains will no doubt be more attractive for other criminals and villains," Best Jeanist explained. He turned to Ace and said, "Taunting them might just make it worse for others, Ace."

Ace was embarrassed and nodded. It would be so _hard_ not to argue or taunt them! He's already done it multiple times. Well, maybe that was what made him hate him so much. But he also had killed four of their nomus, so that was more likely.

"So, you're working with Nighteye now?" Kamui Woods asked, someone Ace didn't feel safe being around since he had an outfit made of wood.

"Part time. I'll still help All Might out here, and I won't always be around when I leave for varying amounts of time. So, just support for Mirio going on patrols. Nighteye said I could help out so I wasn't bored all the time," Ace explained.

Endeavor scowled. "You definitely aren't hero material."

"I know," Ace replied simply, throwing them off for usually that would have been an insult. Ace had been clear from the start that he wasn't and didn't want to be a hero. "I'm not a hero, I don't want to be a hero. But helping out to keep busy is better than just staying in my room to keep busy," he said. God he was sick of telling these people he didn't want to be a hero.

Hopefully this meeting would make it clear that he truly didn't want to be a hero. "Well, you're already in the media. There will always be somebody with a phone out, taking video. You're known as Firefist Ace right now." Ace almost scoffed. So, that was his name in two worlds now. Well, at least it was his own name and not some stupid nickname some bystander gave him.

Mirio had called out Firefist and Ace had given his name to the police. Of course they would piece together both names. He sighed. "There are no cameras in my world. It's so weird," Ace muttered. All Might pat his back.

Ace and Mirio were let out once their story was over, and both of them let out heavy sighs once they left the room. And they both started laughing. "You looked so embarrassed," Ace said.

"Like you're one to talk! Honestly, why would you taunt a villain?" Mirio asked once they started walking down the hall and to get breakfast. Their internship was canceled that day, and Todoroki wasn't doing his, so he could go help teach him his power. And Ace wasn't going to teach him big blasts and bursts of fire.

Those were easy. Refining it, lighting candles, popping popcorn so it didn't burn, etc was difficult. Temperature was also important. And Ace didn't know if Endeavor or Todoroki could make flames not hurt others. Based on the surprise he'd gotten when he revealed that ability, he didn't think the number two hero was able to do that. Ace wasn't going to lie. Endeavor was better at some things, while Ace was better at others. Hopefully the guy realizes that soon. He did wonder what put him in a "good" mood, though.

After eating, Mirio said he was going to go work on homework with his friend. He didn't feel anything about Mirio still being at school because it didn't exist in his world, and friendships weren't formed just because you were the same age. Ace was friends with Thatch before they were brothers, and he was in his 40s while Ace had been 18, almost 19. Age was just a number, but it was nice to have a friend here who wasn't a full fledged hero or a child.

He found Todoroki in the lounge of their dorm room, looking off into space. He seemed fine, no injuries, and Ace sat next to him. "Ready to train?" Todoroki nodded, before saying he thought he was able to make big blasts easily.

"I expected that based on the sports festival. But we're not going to be working with that. Today, the boring training starts. I have popcorn kernels, candles and matches. For me at least, the smaller the flames, the harder is was to control. And the temperature and intensity also matter, which is why we're using popcorn. You'll change the temp until the popcorn isn't burnt," Ace explained.

Todoroki nodded and the two went just outside to sit on the steps. He was distracted. "You okay to handle fire right now?"

The younger replied, "You'll put it out if it gets out of hand, like last night."

Ace sighed. He wished the camera phone didn't exist. He didn't want to be known, he wanted to continue to be under the radar, but that was over. Saving people fucked him over. Well, it kept him busy and happy yesterday. And there was nothing he could do about it now.

"You killed another two nomus. I saw it on the news. And you were talking to the League of Villains guy. What were you talking about?" Ace put his hand to his forehead.

"I have a bad habit of pushing buttons on enemies. So I was taunting him," Ace said with a sigh. "Apparently that's looked down upon here." Todoroki just scoffed, but not in a rude way. "Well, let's get started."

It was a good thing Ace brought a shit ton of candles (he took them from a storage room in the basement) because Todoroki, unsurprisingly, melted each one. They had to move away from the building once it was clear he couldn't do anything but full plumes of fire from his entire left side.

So Ace changed the practice to work on focusing fire from his hand only. And he was a fast learner with that. But lighting the candle had just not worked. He hadn't done a single one without burning the entire candle and not just the wick. Ace could light things on fire from a distance, they didn't always need to come from his body. Like lighting a cigarette from a few feet away.

"This is annoying. I've always learned my ice quirk so much quicker," Todoroki complained when Ace tossed another mess of wax into the growing pile of ruined candles. The popcorn kernels were gone, all burnt to nothing as the bag had exploded the moment the kid had attempted any temperature.

"Ice isn't as volatile as fire. Fire can be destructive and hard to control in any sense. That's why forest fires are so dangerous. Once fire starts going, it's hard to stop. You have to learn how to light it before putting it out," Ace explained, getting another candle. "Try again."

By the end of three hours, Todoroki was beyond irritated with himself. He had ruined all the candles, and the matches were gone as well. The only success was that he could shoot flames only from his hand for three seconds before the rest of him lit up. "It's progress, don't be impatient with it. Any progress is good progress. And you have two people to help you out. I had to figure it out all by myself. I think you're set up to win like this."

Todoroki grudgingly nodded, and they ended the session there. "Hope your internship is going well," Ace said while they were cleaning everything up to get dumped. Nobody would know where the hundreds of candles had gone.

They were decaying anyways, what did it matter if Ace stole them? But they'd need more to practice with unless Ace could think of something else that was free. He had no pay, since he'd get paid per week. Not every week, but how many six days he worked. Paying him weekly for time wasn't there for wouldn't make sense.

Each day of the week that week, Ace was on patrol mostly with Mirio when he wasn't learning about the basics of organizing events by Nighteye. Ace could see right through him. He wanted Ace to be a hero. He wouldn't, but this was a good experience for his commander position. Learning strategies and planning ahead.

He didn't say anything about that being the reason he paid so much attention. It wasn't necessary. He no longer convinced people he didn't want to be a hero. He was tired of it. And he was tired already of people recognizing him on the street. With the unwanted attention, he was a "cranky one" of the Nighteye interns. Mirio made up for it, always smiling and being enthusiastic.

Ace was too, and would joke with him, but once people started flocking him, the scowl came back. He couldn't help it! And he felt bad that he had become more well known than Mirio, who always worked so hard for his dream. Nobody was noticing it in the general public.

He had apologized about it, but Mirio said he had no problem with it, and was glad he had a good partner to help him out. They caught only one other bad guy. They were just lucky the first day. The others weren't so exciting, but it was still better than sitting somewhere on the campus and doing nothing.

It was the next week that classes resumed and Ace's schedule was changed so that he went to his intern position after the two hero course classes had ended. Keeping busy was good for his mental health. But it had been two weeks and Ace hadn't gone back home. He worried about how much time had passed there. How much was he missing out on? He tried not to think about that, but it was hard not to worry when going to bed.

Ace was sitting on the wall of the pipe area that the kids would be racing on today. He didn't have much to do, but looked forward to seeing if there was any change in them after their intern jobs. There was one he could tell had improved, and he was happy with that.

Freckles felt stronger, even if he was still behind Todoroki, which wasn't surprising. He was still having trouble with lighting small things on fire or shooting fire only from his fingers, but his patience in himself improved and that was good as well.

When the plan was explained to the class, Ace headed to the highest building or platform there so he could see the best, and sat down to watch. He looked forward to seeing Freckles, and he wasn't disappointed. He quickly passed the other students, not hurting himself. Not breaking bones. He'd learned control over it. At least good enough control that he wouldn't damage himself.

He was fast and graceful, and Ace had trouble not cheering for him. It wouldn't be nice to the other kids even if he thought Freckles was the nicest. Most reckless for himself, but he was nice. Bakugo was reckless for everyone else while Freckles put himself in the painful positions. But it was vast improvement and Ace was very impressed.

But sadly, Freckles did not keep first place after slipping and falling off one of the pipes. Poor guy. Well, it was still an improvement, and Ace hoped he was happy with that, even if he didn't win first place.

Ace was close enough and heard All Might discreetly tell Freckles that he was shocked and pleased by the change. And to come visit him after class. He turned to the side and saw Ace watching, who made a move in front of his mouth like zipping it shut. All Might nodded to him, and Freckles looked over as well. He blanched but Ace made a thumbs up. He looked nervous still, but nodded like All Might had.

After class was over, he took the map he'd been given and found his way to the headquarters by himself, proud that he hadn't caused any problems and had made it. Last week, Mirio had walked him to it each day, but now he knew the route enough to do it himself. He was planning to meet him at 2:45, half an hour after class got out and he was free to go. Mirio was a third year, so he had taken some classes early and got out sooner than the rest.

Mirio was there right on time as was Ace, and they both went on patrol. He was glad he'd met him. Well, that he'd approached Ace first. He said he'd introduce himself to class 1-A in a while, and Ace wondered just how badly the kids would do against them.

"You're going to dominate that fight. It won't be fair," Ace said when they stopped to buy drinks and then resume their patrol.

Mirio laughed, and replied, "You're one to talk. I heard you beat all of them in under five minutes each. And that you were going a bit easy."

Ace admitted, "I didn't know how strong they were and didn't want to give them third degree burns or kill them. I have power over my fire, but if I had judged one too strong, it could have gone south real quick." Mirio nodded, and said he could see where that would be a necessity. The two left the agency to go to the far side of town where there had been some gang activity.

Based on how they described gangs, Ace compared them to bandits from his world. Hey walked the way, and Ace had seemed to scare off onlookers by his angry face when photos were taken of him. Mirio thought it was funny how opposite of a hero he was but was also good for the job.

"I know you don't want to be a hero, but don't you have fun doing this?" Mirio asked when they had stopped on the outskirts of the place they were to inspect. Ace shrugged.

"I mean, it's a nice way to pass time, but I still would choose my old life rather than being a hero here," Ace replied honestly. He was glad Mirio wasn't upset that he left for varying amounts of time, even if he'd be leaving his patrol partner alone. Well, there were others he could patrol with like he had before Ace. Mirio quietly asked what he would do if destroying the portal didn't work and he would continue to warp from one world to the other.

Ace said, "I… don't know. I don't like thinking about it." Mirio backed off even if Ace's tone hadn't been a hostile one. They stopped speaking and quietly walked through the mess of slums. They both stood out, though Mirio was the only one that was dressed like a hero. Ace just looked eccentric, really. Heroes often covered their faces. Ace was blatantly showing all of him but the skin under his shorts.

Mirio whispered to Ace that he saw someone with a gun walk down the street beside them, and both of them silently made their way through the alleyway to inspect. They pulled back once the guy turned around after heading into a car. They both looked up to the roof where they could hide and have better access, as there were tall buildings around the slums. They both nodded and Mirio climbed onto Ace's back as he shot himself up with fire.

They crouched, looking over the edge of the building to see the car driving away. "Follow?" Ace asked quietly, and Mirio nodded. They began jumping from roof to roof, muffling their steps easily. Mirio was quite fit so he and Ace were able to keep up the same speed.

The two stopped when the car stopped, able to see a sort of base that had armed men outside the entrance. They watched as a huge chest of what they assumed were weapons was lugged in. "I need to get closer," Ace said quietly, so he could sense where in the building the guy was going. Underground perhaps, but he would only know if he got closer. They were far from it and there were many presences.

Ace had haki, but he wasn't the best at observation haki. Good, but not as good as he could be. Mirio nodded and they both made their way across the roofs, crawling at the last part and peeking their heads across the street. They were lucky to have not been seen. Ace closed his eyes and focused.

There were at least a dozen presences, and he followed the nearest as it went down multiple flights of stairs. "There's over a dozen in there, and they reach underground. There's probably a big stash of weapons in the basement of that building. Should we leave?" Ace knew this was a stealth mission, and he was fine with those and had done them many times. They were fun in their own ways, but required a lot more focus and delicacy.

Mirio nodded, and marked where they were on the fancy map on his phone. They slowly made their way out of sight of the gang's meet up base and then dropped down to run back to the agency, their mission finished.

When they got back, they reported their findings to Nighteye, Mirio doing the technical work while Ace was getting a drink of water. When he came back, Ace explained how deep he felt the base was, at least three staircases, and how many were in there. "None of them felt especially strong, but they must have a lot of weapons."

Nighteye thanked them for their hard work, and Mirio changed out of his hero costume and the two walked back to the school.


	13. Final Exam

**Anime_Moon00: Ace goes through a lot of emotions in this one. It's really sad in one part, so you'll definitely get a dose of the feels then! I'm glad you like my stories. I don't go anywhere so it's unlikely I'll get covid. That's how I have so may stories! I don't leave my house lol.**

**Shisukii: Thank you! I love writing Ace. In cannon he has such a wide range of emotions that it's easy to write him.**

**Adamari2001: No Overhaul. At least, not yet. The good stuff is much later, when shit goes** _ down._

**Otaku_Girl2176: I feel I got every bodies hopes up! That mission wasn't related to Overhaul, that part is much later. Honestly I hated writing that part because I used the meeting almost completely and had to watch and copy the dialogue to make it match. What a boring nightmare that was! But it totally isn't how it is in cannon when we finally get there. So look forwards to that!**

* * *

**This chapter was a joy to write as Ace. He has a damn good time in this one. Oh, I posted a new story, another crossover but much different, so go check that out! Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace stood with the other teachers as Eraser Head explained how the practical exam would be. Ace was happy they'd let him participate against the kids to make things harder for them. The stakes were high for all of them since they got to go to training camp depending on how they did for the exam. He already felt bad they had three days of a written exam.

Ace would be working with All Might, who was against Freckles and Bakugo. What a terrible pair, though it was obviously done on purpose. The reason their fight would be unfair with both Bakugo and All Might was that the pro-hero wanted Freckles to learn more and Bakugo would throw a fit if he didn't get the hardest match.

When their enemies were announced, All Might landed right next to Ace, being dramatic like usual. "No way, you have to fight against both of them?!" Ashido exclaimed. Ace popped his knuckles. Freckles gulped and Bakugo scowled. The other students expressed relief that they didn't need to go against both of them.

Thirteen said he and the teachers would need to act like villains. Ace had to be careful to not act too much like a pirate. He wouldn't get into full character as best as he could. He was excited.

He and All Might put the weights on their ankles and wrists, which didn't hinder Ace one bit, no matter if they were half his body weight. All Might was different, he weighed a lot. Ace didn't. Plus, his fire power made him lighter. So, to balance it a bit more, he had two more ankle weights on. Freckles asked why he had more. "Being made of fire makes me lighter."

Ace wasn't surprised that, when Eraser Head told them they had a bit of time to plan, that Bakugo ditched Freckles without a word. Ace gave Freckles a sympathetic look before All Might told him not to show favoritism this time, even if he knew the young man disliked Bakugo. "Right. We're villains right now."

All Might quietly said, "You can be a pirate here for once." Ace laughed, but said he wouldn't go too far against them. Once the groups started fighting, preparing or trying to come up with plans, Ace was sitting on the building they were starting at. All Might was below, while Ace was talking to him.

"Should I hide and you be obvious? When I'm made of fire, I make only slight crackling noises that are hard to hear unless in an enclosed space," Ace explained, trying to come up with an adequate plan.

"I think you would be a good distraction for them. I will attack head on and you will appear to throw them off. We've made it hardest for them because they have the worst teamwork. They need to go above the other students," All Might explained. "I'm sure we will both do fine, but they have two people they can handcuff now. If you act, I will adapt, if I act, you will adapt."

Ace nodded, and asked if he should use armament haki. "You wouldn't be using your full power anyways. Plus, they'd be able to cuff you if your arms are solid, so yes, you should use armament haki," he explained, arms crossed and waiting.

"Thank you for not being nosy or talking about my closer relationship to young Midoriya," All Might said, changing the subject.

"Well you're keeping my secret. Besides, I know the danger of telling somebody an important secret. I don't know what it is, but I have a secret that, if it got out, the world would try to murder me in any way they could," Ace said, catching All Might off guard. There was no point in hiding it here, so he told the truth.

He said, "My biological father was the most wanted pirate in the world. The pirate king. While my mother was pregnant with me, the marines executed him and hunted down any pregnant women, killing many of them to try and end his bloodline. But my mom carried me for 20 months to keep me safe. She died during childbirth, though. So, the only people in my world who know are my adoptive grandfather, my little brother and Whitebeard.

"People are punished for their blood there. Another reason I became a pirate. To protect myself from marines. And now I have more people to protect me, even if they don't know about who my biological father was," Ace explained. All Might seemed horrified.

The pro-hero said, "I can understand more now why you chose that profession. The marines are corrupt, and so the only other way to fulfil your dream was to be the opposite." Ace nodded, having already told All Might his dream was always to be free. "I'm sorry that that happened to you." Ace nodded, saying it sucked but there was nothing he could do about it.

"Though that was the main reason I was such a bad child. Hearing by everybody that the pirate king's son should die, be killed on the spot, was trash. Well, it got to me," he said. "Then Luffy and Sabo came and they changed me, especially Luffy, my little brother. He's a pirate, too. But he's a weird one as he's saved multiple kingdoms. What a strange one," Ace said with a laugh.

All Might said having family is the best thing that can happen to a child. Ace agreed and they were silent for a bit. Ace sensed a presence outside the area, close enough to tell but far enough to not be seen. "They're here," Ace stated. "See you in a bit," the young man said and got further from the edge of the roof, erasing his presence and leaning against the air conditioner vent… thing. All Might was further down the street, so Ace was completely behind them.

He would stick to the rooftops and hit them from above as much as possible. Then getting back up on the roofs to hide and come from somewhere else. He was excited. But, he wasn't surprised when he heard Freckles trying to reason with Bakugo, which they needed to do. They needed to work together. Ace had doubts that Bakugo would put his pride and dislike aside to finish this mission.

Ace looked up and over to see All Might waiting but still out of sight of the kids. Predictably, Bakugo shouted at Freckles to stop following him. Ace put his hand to his face. Idiot. Freckles was reckless, but he was smart and was able to work well with others. Bakugo needed to take some advice from him. But, he would probably blow the other up if he ever tried giving concrete advice.

The hot head refused to run, it was better to beat both of them up. "We can't fight both of them at the same time!"

"I don't see either here! I can take both of them! Stay out of my way!" Freckles fell back a bit before he again insisted they have a plan and be ready to run if necessary.

"We should engage in combat as little as possible!" Freckles argued. Bakugo said they'd toy with them until the end and when they were tired he'd beat the both of them. Like they could toy with someone who beat them in less than five minutes _and_ a pro-hero.

Ace jumped off the roof and shot down a massive plume of hot flames. "Who will you be toying with?! If you can't protect yourselves, won't you be useless heroes?" he laughed wickedly, landing in the flames and then jumping up when they just barely dodged it. He jumped off of the side of a building and used a haki covered foot to slam down where Freckles had just been laying. Then Ace was gone, out of sight.

He heard Bakugo let loose a string of profanities as Ace jumped from roof to roof out of view so he was adjacent to All Might, who was still waiting and gave Ace a thumbs up. He crouched again so nobody would see him, erasing his presence once again. He could hear Bakugo shouting threats and Freckles still trying to reason with him.

Ace was mature enough to not let some brats provoke him and make him do less than his best by being baited successfully. He wasn't a kid anymore, he could control his temper. He could let people insult him and not blow up. He would still attack them, but not lose control of his emotions like he used to.

Ace was able to hear them fighting, and felt and heard the hit. Bakugo had hit Freckles. Ace looked down at All Might. "Bakugo just attacked Freckles," he said in a hard voice. All Might's demeanor turned a bit cold. He was angry, but still smiling, even though Ace could see the lines on his face showing anger. Ace backed up again and hid.

"Here I go! I'm coming!" All Might said, taking his arm back. Ace leapt across the street to a building that would be safe. The two coninuted to argue and be distracted until All Might punched the air and let loose a projectile. It was the move that had sent Ace slamming into the barrier.

He covered his eyes as debris ran through the street, destroying the closest buildings and dirt and dust over the others. Ace took it as an advantage as a smoke screen and used it once it hit both of them. He could sense where they were, and Ace grabbed Bakugo around the scruff and slammed him into a building before kicking Freckles hard in the stomach.

"Should you really be arguing?" Ace called before he was gone again.

All Might had finally arrived, and it looked like both of them completely forgot Ace was waiting somewhere, now in a broken building behind a cement wall where he couldn't be seen but could hear what was going on. "Who cares about damaging the city?"

The pro-hero let off an intimidating presence, so Ace did the same. They were villains here.

They both affected the two, but Ace wasn't because he was used to scary and intimidating presences. Ace flamed up but didn't come out of sight, catching the entire building on fire, crackling loudly, some debris collapsing.

"If you think of this as an exam, you'll be sorry," All Might said.

Ace exited the building and then silently ran to behind them. Freckles jerked around when he felt Ace's heat behind them, who kicked the ground hard enough to cause it to splinter towards the two, who were relatively close, causing flames to flow with the cracks, making both boys jump out of the way.

Ace chuckled and then went back into a building. All Might acted like Ace had done nothing, and continued speaking. "We are villains, heroes!" he said darkly. Ace was having no problems with the weights, luckily. He was glad he could go all out. He might be sore later since the weights were around haki covered limbs, so his fire wasn't there to cushion the weight. "Come at us with everything you've got!"

Freckles was shaking. "We can't take him head on! Let's run!" he shouted.

"Idiot, that stupid flaming moron is behind us somewhere!" Ace chuckled at the weak insult. "Don't tell me what to do!" Bakugo raged. Freckles turned around, but All Might kicked off the ground and headed towards the two, who were still arguing. "Stun grenade!" Bakugo shouted, letting out an explosion of light that momentarily blinded All Might. "'Come at me' you said, All Might!"

He started to sound cocky, like usual, before All Might was fine again and grabbed his face easily. Both of the "villains" were the ones doing the toying. Ace was building suspense by not showing himself quickly. He was still hidden from sight.

But then Bakugo started making small explosions on All Might's face, all three of them distracted. Ace jumped down and grabbed Freckles, throwing him hard so he landed against Bakugo, making him falter his attack.

"Hah! We may be villains, but he's my partner in crime. What do you think you're doing to him? We'll kill you _together,_ " he asked darkly, a sadistic smile on. This distracted both of them so All Might could slam Bakugo into the ground. It was a hint for them to work together, showing that he and All Might were able to, even without words.

Ace was gone in a mess of flames, hidden again. This was fun. "With such weak consecutive hits, it stung a little," the pro-hero taunted. Then he was in behind Freckles instantly. "And you're not off the hook either, young Midoriya." The kid was terrified. "Are you leaving your teammate and running away?"

The young man was back, slamming a haki covered ankle on Bakugo's arm, shattering one of his gauntlets that doubled as grenades. Freckles was the one with the cuffs, so Ace was safe. "Fuck you!" Bakugo coughed, but Ace had walked back a few steps.

"Are you really subdued that easily, Bakugo-chan?" Ace asked, eyes wide wearing a sadistic grin, like he wanted to seriously kill him. The explosion kid faltered just a moment under the pressure. Ace jumped away and back into a building.

After what All Might said, Freckles jumped backwards, only Bakugo ran into him as they were going in opposite directions. The blonde had abandoned Ace since he was out of view. He only had one arm guard left. Ace wouldn't break the other one.

The two collided _hard._ Both of them fell on their backs, but they both got up relatively quickly. Freckles started saying they couldn't take them again, that they should run, while Bakugo swore he would kill them. The argument had not changed for either of them. Bakugo said that he was doing what heroes did. Ace let out a creepy laugh that echoed down the street. "Kill us as _heroes?_ Ha! We're just getting started, _little ones."_

But he stayed hidden. God damn this was fun! It totally reminded him of being back home, only he was playing it up pretty well. All Might was still letting off a scary feeling, but Ace had dialed his back a bit. But both boys were distracted by arguing _again._

All Might shouted, "Here's a present for the one who wants to run away!" Some time while Ace was getting their attention with his disturbing words and voice, the pro-hero had gotten a broken railing, and slammed it down, pinning Freckles to the ground. All Might then punched Bakugo so hard he flew backwards and vomited. Ace kept the cringe and disgust off his face, trying to look satisfied.

Ace walked to Freckles as All Might focused on Bakugo. "Do you let yourself get caught? A villain might not hurt you if you _give up._ But I like the chase," he said darkly, and put his foot down on Freckles' back. He was shaking. "You're friend's over there, being attacked. What should you do, little hero?"

Bakugo seemed very injured while All Might approached him. Freckles was getting upset.

All Might's strategy for riling up Bakugo was to press his buttons. Pointing out that he was so angry because Freckles was improving. It was a low blow, but the truth. It was painfully obvious to anybody who saw them in the same vicinity together. "But you know, there's no way a level 1 power and a level 50 power can improve at the same rate. There's so much wasted potential in you." Oh _fuck_ , that was a _really_ low blow. "Do you understand? You do, don't you? You still have so much room to grow!"

Now he was being a teacher and not a villain. Ace jumped back when Freckles attempted to cuff Ace while he was distracted. "Ah, ah, ah," Ace said, and pressed Freckles' leg down, though not enough to be painful or damaging. He was still pinned after all.

All Might continued to talk, encouraging Bakugo to improve until the brave little shit told All Mgiht to shut up. Ace broke character and hid a laugh. "If I have to get help from that scum, then I'd rather lose!" Man, what an asshole.

Freckles started revving up his power, and Ace stepped back. "I see. Then don't regret this," the pro said, and made it look like he was dealing a finishing blow. And then Freckles was gone, away from Ace and punching not All Might, but Bakugo. Well, he did deserve it, but it was a weird tactic.

"Don't _you_ say that you'd rather lose!" the freckled kid roared angrily. Then he grabbed Bakugo and ran.

"I didn't think young Midoriya would come," he said. Ace ran over and admitted he was good at pushing people's buttons, so he did now. He hoped they'd come up with a plan and stop arguing.

Ace said he was going to go back to wait in the buildings and watch. "You're a good villain, Ace." But he said it as a joke.

"I'm a pirate, not a villain. But I guess it depends on who you ask. There's no such thing as pure good and pure evil. There will always be a gray area," Ace said and jumped up onto another building, away from All Might.

Ace purposely went out of earshot, since the whole fight seemed pretty personal and he didn't want to know things that they may not want him to know. So he kept track of them with haki and not sound.

Once the two stopped talking, Ace ran after them, finding Bakugo exiting the alley way with an explosion. "Where are you looking?!" he demanded.

"You were behind me, huh?" All Might said easily, but then Bakugo made another explosion at him. He let off a few other explosions, and Ace didn't miss the fact that his remaining arm guard was gone. Ace had broken the other one, so he was letting off explosions with just his hands. He was still good at it, like at the sports festival, but it wasn't aimed as well. It didn't shoot out directly, but wider.

Then Freckles was behind him and had the other arm guard, before letting it loose and unleashing a massive, point break explosion that was so huge it completely covered All Might and even reached Ace, who was behind them, watching but not interfering with their plan since they finally made one.

The fire, of course, went right through him, and he sucked the flames away easily. "Nice try. But don't forget about me," Ace taunted with a laugh. But then they both ran. Ace went up to All Might and asked if he was okay. He was, if not his outfit being a bit singed.

"I'm fine. Your fire is much hotter. I must say, you are ruthless."

"We're villains, aren't we? I'm just in character."

"Attacking and running. A good compromise. It's pretty good for an impromptu plan." He then praised them for damaging the city as least as they could, only hitting places that weren't already damaged. Ace nodded.

He said, "Their teamwork is… shitty. They probably have a lot of stuff in the past that Bakugo is angry about. It's not my business, but it's clearly there. You can't hate someone that much when you have no real history behind it." All Might nodded. Then he surprised Ace.

"I have to thank you again. I would not have been able to handle this fight without consequences if your brother had not healed me," the pro-hero said. Ace sighed, saying he had already thanked him more than enough. "I just had to say it. Now, your teacher's gonna do his best. Let's go," and he and Ace ran after them, Ace returning to the rooftops while All Might stayed on the ground. Ace led him to where he could barely sense them.

"They're heading towards the escape gate!" Ace called from above. He and All Might altered their course, heading in the right direction.

He sped past Ace and right in between the two while they were talking (Bakugo being a brat and arguing) and All Might did as Ace had and shattered the remaining gauntlet that had been returned to him from Freckles. "What are you surprised about?" and he punched both of them hard. "Now… die, heroes!" he called and elbowed Bakugo so hard in the chin that he flew backwards, just where Ace was waiting for him.

The pirate grabbed his arm and lit it on fire, blowing up the nitroglycerin he'd sweat, throwing him back in the direction he came from with a scream. "Why are you forgetting me? Am I not evil enough?" Ace asked before shooting at Bakugo and punching him in the back with a haki covered fist. They'd been covered in armament haki from the start.

The blonde's arm was now burnt, but before he could turn around, Ace was gone again. So he turned back to All Might and attacked him, only to collide with Freckles as All Might slammed them together.

Ace let out a firefist that engulfed the street, making them have to get up, even injured, and dodge what blew out the windows of the buildings across the street. It wouldn't have burned them, but the outside of it was hot enough to give off the assumption that it was regular fire. Ace walked near All Might, head tilted with a mask of insanity on, looking like he was going to kill them and would enjoy it.

The pro-hero was on them again instantly, pinning Bakugo down with one foot while Freckles was hanging from the opposite hand. "You cooperate - however reluctantly - and faced us! However, the two of you, that was just a prerequisite to this exam!"

Freckles was struggling to get out of All Might's hold, and the man asked, "What kind of face is that, young Midoriya?" and he threw him in the direction of Ace, who laughed wickedly.

"Now _this_ is fun. Isn't it, Freckles?" he asked in a sickly sweet voice. He backed away from Ace, who was stretching his arms, flames licking them. But he didn't attack as All Might started to speak again.

"Getting away from me with your maximum fire power and then getting through the escape gate. That appears to have been you boys' answer, but now that I've destroyed young Bakugo's last gauntlet, you've lost that maximum firepower. It's over," he said with finality.

Bakugo was pissed. "Shut up!" and he turned his hand so the palm was facing up and let out a huge explosion. Debris went through Ace's body as he covered his eyes a bit. All Might was lost in the dust and dirt. Then he heard Bakugo saying he was going to throw Freckles. Ace thought they'd done enough, and let the kid fly above him, pretending he was distracted by the dirt.

He wanted to make it look like he was close, but All Might was there, flying backwards, and Ace stopped his fire. His back slammed into Freckles' painfully hard and he screamed in pain. Bakugo blew up and started to try and get to them. The pro-hero called them both naive, and slammed the more timid kid into a bus. He was so close to the escape gate.

He felt the heat coming from Bakugo and jumped up to erase the flames, negating the first explosion a bit after the initial shock. Freckles was nearing the gate, and when Bakugo made more and more huge explosions, Ace jumped up and grabbed his foot, slamming him down. "Don't get cocky, hero! Your partner may be running away, but you're not going anywhere."

If All Might could be rough, so could Ace. They were partners in this, Ace wasn't his sidekick. Bakugo could barely move, but tried gripping Ace's ankle and moving it. Ace lit his palm on fire and was moving it slowly towards Bakugo's other arm that wasn't burnt.

He swore and blasted off behind Ace to try and stop All Might from getting to Freckles before he got to the gate, but was kicked to the ground. Ace was feeling bad for them. How hurt they'd be afterwards, wondering if Recovery Girl could fix all of the wounds.

Bakugo was held down and unable to move, and Ace was glad. He was injuring himself too much. Ace didn't like him, but didn't exactly want him doing what Freckles did. It was hard to look at, even if he was the source of some of that damage. All Might had gone harder in the end while Ace had gone harder in the beginning.

While All Might was busy with Bakugo, he didn't notice Freckles using his powers to get closer. He was battered and beaten up, but smiling a tight smile, and asked All Might to move, and then punched him.

Ace ran after them as Freckles was carrying Bakugo. He wasn't going to catch them because they deserved for it to end, but he shot fire that he aimed just above their heads, singing the top of Freckles' hair. He'd made the fire in that tiny space hot while the rest was just warm. It wouldn't burn them.

And they both made it to the gate, finally escaping and sort of winning. They fought well, even though it was messy at the beginning and they had completely different personalities and fighting styles.

Ace was sweating. And All Might came up behind him. "That was fun," Ace said. "Thanks for inviting me to join." The pro-hero nodded, saying his act was quite well. Ace, even before becoming a pirate, had role played with Luffy for different scenarios, and one of them was playing an evil, crazed enemy that the other tried to incapacitate. Of course, Luffy was terrible at it, so Ace did it most of the time and just got good at it.

Ace and All Might were there when they were both getting healed by Recovery Girl. "You guys were awesome in the end," Ace said in a friendly voice. Freckles looked at him in nervousness. "Don't worry, that was all an act. I did pretty good didn't I?" The kid nodded. Ace explained about role playing with his little brother, so he had practice being the bad guy. This seemed to calm Freckles and he didn't look afraid anymore.

"You're… a really good actor," he said. "And… ruthless," and he coughed.

Ace said he was just doing what he was supposed to, not pulling any punches. "No… at the end you did. The fire… it was only hot in one place… it wouldn't have burnt me."

"None of my fire was hot enough to seriously burn. You both got superficial burns that Recovery Girl could heal. I may have been playing the villain, but I wasn't going to kill anyone," he explained.

Freckles nodded, and said, "You were really mean." Ace just laughed and said he was deep in character. All Might, however, was being scolded. None of Ace's attacks had been as bad as the ones at the end with All Might, which injured Bakugo's jaw and Freckles' back. They would take longer to heal.

Ace left the room to go wash off all of the dirt, ash and sweat he was caked with. Nighteye had given him the day off since he was part of the exam and would most likely be tired afterwards. And he was. He wanted a nap.

He passed a handful of 1-A in the hall, who all looked at him in fear. "Don't worry, that was all in character. And All Might went way harder on them than I did. I was just the better one at being creepy," he added with a grin. "Get some rest. I know I will." The others nodded, seeming calmed down a bit.

After Ace showered, he fell asleep the moment his legs hit the bed. He was tired. It had been weeks since he'd come. When would he go back?

He missed them again, but didn't let it get to him at all, and had a peaceful nap.


	14. The Cracks Begin To Form

**Anime_Moon00: I'm glad the fight scene was good! It was only so long because it followed the plot lol. Usually my fight scenes are very short and to the point, even if I try otherwise. -_-**

**MoonlitStarShine: Ace is a good actor! The training camp is the next chapter, and I hope people aren't disappointed with it. Ace gets to show how badass he is again.**

#### Lucynda_Raciak: That is such a good idea omg. I might put it in, but don't know where. But I think that the concept of Garp would freak them all out. Besides Bakugo. Ace dislikes him because he is both an annoying shit and Ace also sees himself in him when he looked back and didn't like who he was. 

#### Adamari2001: Thank you! Ace gives some kids MORE trauma later. Like a lot of trauma, it was a blast to write.

#### MusicalIllness: I can just imagine how freaked out they'd be. Or Bakugo would challenge Whitebeard or some shit. But no kids go back with him. Only one person goes to the BNHA world with him.

#### SilentCookie: Aw, thank you! There's a lot of time on the Moby Dick in this chapter, finally the Whitebeards get more screen time!

#### Trying_To_Be_Hapy: * returns weird emojis back * 

* * *

**I posted another story! It's fluffy and very different from anything else I've written, so go check it out! The feels begin in this chapter! And the next chapter is a certain school event that goes to hell. Enjoy~**

* * *

The next day, after he'd gotten breakfast, Eraser Head came up to him and said his performance during the exam was exemplary. And not just the acting, but how well he synced with All Might. "Oh, thanks," Ace said a bit awkwardly.

"Your villain character was also quite impressive."

Ace thanked him again, saying it was always fun to try something completely different than usual. After all, how he'd acted was nothing like his personality in that world. And he'd first arrived months ago, even if he didn't spend all of that time there. So, the teachers seemed to have already judged him as not a villain. He wasn't.

"You were never going to burn them, were you?"

Ace said he gave them superficial burns. They were painful, but would disappear relatively quickly. "Anyways, I have to go to work."

"Mirio is still in class. What do you do when he's not there in the beginning?" he asked. If his voice wasn't always monotone, he might have sounded curious.

Ace replied that he helped out with paperwork for Nighteye when he wasn't on patrol but Mirio wasn't there. He wasn't trusted enough and didn't know the city enough to do it himself. "I'm used to doing paperwork from my duty at home. Anyways, bye," Ace said. It was the day after the exam and the students were all sore and achy, so they got one day off. He walked to the agency and entered with a knock.

He didn't see what Nighteye was doing on his computer, but bowed and said he was ready for any paperwork to do. He was diligent about it, and Nigtheye appreciated it since none of the others ever offered to do it. There was a mountain of it, but he could do it just fine.

"Ace, I've seen footage of your fight with All Might," he said. Ace thought he was going to comment on his acting, and he did. "You played a great villain. But that's not what stood out to me. You fought with All Might seamlessly. I was impressed, having been his sidekick once."

Ace immediately said that he wasn't a sidekick, and Nighteye made sure he knew that he wasn't insinuating that. So Ace lost his momentary offense and said that he was good at adapting to others' fighting styles since his brothers were all so different and it demanded that. He got to doing the paperwork but was also able to talk at the same time.

"What was it like, being All Might's sidekick?" he asked curiously, finishing another paper. They were reports from others that were in lists that he compiled into summaries.

"It was enjoyable, and we became close friends. I was the brains and he was the brawn. We worked well together, even if our quirks are very different. When he got injured, we had a falling out, as I didn't approve of him continuing to fight. You know the injury I am talking about," Nighteye explained.

Ace nodded. "He was very strong to still live with that injury. I've gotten badly injured many times, but even I don't think I'd survive that long. I… have a question. I don't know if you'll answer it." Nighteye told him he could ask. "Is All Might losing his powers?"

Nighteye turned cold. "Why would you ask that?" He didn't sound angry or upset, more like guarded and wary.

"Every time I visit, a couple days or weeks, when I come back he feels a little bit weaker. Still very, very strong, but my haki just seems to show that he's losing some of it. I know it's not my place to ask, but I just want to know if I'm wrong, if my haki is messed up, because that would be concerning," he said seriously.

Nighteye sighed. "He is, but I can't tell you why." Ace thanked him for confirming.

"I won't tell anybody. I have no reason to, and telling somebody someone else's secrets is one of the lowest things you can do. Disgusting," Ace said in an angry voice. Nighteye said nothing of the change in demeanor. "Sorry, I got emotional just then. It's just a personal issue."

Nighteye said he understood. "What do you think of Mirio? You seem to get along quite well only knowing each other a couple days." Ace smiled.

"He's probably one of the top three of the nicest people I've ever met. He just seems to radiate cheer. Plus, he's pretty strong and that's cool. His quirk is very interesting, and he is physically and mentally strong as well. And he's easy to get along with," Ace listed. Nighteye nodded in agreement.

"I believe he could become the number 1 hero someday. He's charismatic and determined to do the best for the common people." Ace was pretty much the opposite when he was determined to common people. He wasn't cruel or violent, but he wasn't super nice to everyone. Especially when so many are scared of him and his strength.

Ace agreed that Mirio could go far in this world. "You on the other hand, would not be the friendliest hero." Ace laughed, agreeing. "You seem charismatic and nice to those you know, but glare at everyone else."

"Well I didn't want to be well known here. And now people know my name and epithet. I just wanted to help out in the background, not in the spotlight," Ace explained honestly. "I don't want people calling me a hero when I'm not. I just help Mirio out and those at the school. Being nice to people I like doesn't make me a hero."

Nighteye nodded. "It's hard to put everyone before yourself, but some people are just made to be like that. Others must adopt that mindset, and were not born with it. That is why we have hero training. Not only to strengthen quirks and the body, but to learn about how to be a good hero in other ways."

Ace agreed that hero training would be helpful, but confessed that school looked boring. "I could never sit still and listen to someone all day like that. I'd probably fall asleep." Nighteye already knew about his narcolepsy, since it was something pretty important, even if it only happened when he'd bored or hadn't gotten enough sleep.

Nighteye went back to his laptop, but they were still speaking. Ace was almost done with that day's paper work that he could do and not somebody else needing to do it. "You said you're a leader in your world." Ace nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a commander on my crew. I have a little over 100 people under me. That's why I'm used to paperwork. I do it all the time," Ace explained. Nighteye looked interested, as he hadn't heard much about it other than that he was a leader from All Might.

He said, "That is a lot of people for someone so young." Ace laughed and said he was appointed to that seat when he was 19.

"A lot of stuff has happened since then. I've matured a lot. I was such a rude brat, to be honest. I don't understand why my family wanted me," he joked. "I guess they saw past my hard demeanor to the real me. Who knows, they're a weird bunch." His face fell for just a moment.

Nighteye saw though. "You miss them." Ace nodded, saying all the time. "What will you do if your plan does not work?"

"I don't like to think about that. What happens happens. We'll deal with it if we cross that bridge," he said softly, and Nighteye backed off. When Mirio arrived, he was grinning at Ace.

"I heard about you helping with the exam and fighting alongside All Might!" he said in an impressed voice. Ace nodded, saying it was pretty fun to do. Mirio bowed to Nighteye and changed into his hero clothes before they went on patrol.

He and Mirio didn't find anything or anyone, but Nighteye had allowed them to go further from the surrounding area. Once Ace was more used to the job and work, they would be able to visit sections from the agency by using the bullet train. Ace didn't want to ride it, but it would be necessary. But he couldn't but look forward to new things. He would tell everyone all about it.

When they were on their way back, Mirio was talking about how he was looking forward to meeting class 1-A, Ace was unable to hear the full sentence before he was landing on a very familiar bed.

-x-

He was home, after two weeks. Well a little over two weeks. His longest visit there so far. At least this time he wasn't severely distressed and he was doing something productive. And he had so many stories to tell! He left his room and found Thatch sitting beside the door. "Thatch!" he shouted and hugged him.

The other was happy, but not as happy as Ace. Ace was overjoyed while Thatch was purely happy. "How long was I gone?" Ace asked, assuming it was a couple days at least. But he was shocked when Thatch told him he was gone for only an hour. Ace was stunned, and dropped his hands.

"How long was it for you?" Thatch asked tentatively, his hand on Ace's shoulder in comfort, worried about him. How upset he'd gotten so quickly. Ace put his hand over Thatch's. Ace replied that it had been over two weeks. And he was gone for an hour here. 1/360 hours. He was gone for fifteen days. And here he'd only left an hour ago.

He sat down against the wall and put his head in his hands. There was no way to predict the time change, since it had been different each time. There was no traceable pattern. Thatch sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "How was it this time? Will you tell me the happy stuff?" he asked softly. Ace nodded.

"I arrived while a competition was happening with the youngest kids in the school. There was an obstacle race and then some battles. It was fun, kept my mind off of everything that had happened. I was allowed to sit with the teachers. They're nice, I think they like me even though I refuse to be a hero.

He scoffed. "There was this kid, I call him Freckles, who had no control over his power. I was so irritated. He kept breaking his fingers over and over to send wind at his opponent. He literally broke two of his fingers twice. And an arm!" Thatch gasped. "I know, right?!"

Thatch was engaged with the story, listening raptly, a face of wonder on. Ace was glad he could make Thatch happy like that. That he enjoyed hearing about his time away. "Then I was given an internship to pass the time. With Mirio, the guy who reminds me of you. On our first day, we caught some villain who started crying. Then we were heading back where there was a building on fire.

"So I went over to just put it out. And guess what happened next?" Ace asked animatedly. "Two fucking nomus just wreaking havoc! How is that a coincidence, y'know? It was just so weird. And they were scared of me. They stopped rampaging and just cowered, unable to move. I had them kill themselves again.

"Hand-Guy showed up. Man does he hate me. It was so funny. He's like, 'You!' and I said, 'Yup, me. Are you doing naughty things again?' and sorta taunted him. And that's apparently looked down up there, but it was so funny pissing him off. He swore to kill me and I was like 'good luck with that'. It was funny."

Thatch was laughing his ass off. "Man I wish I could see all that stuff, too! What else happened? Tell me everything!" Having Thatch so enthusiastic made Ace more relaxed and calm. Not worrying about the weird time changes. The unpredictability of when he disappeared. Well, at least he always ended up in the two same spots. In the field at U.A. and in his room on the Moby Dick.

Ace then told him about the exam that Ace was evil in. Thatch thought that was funny, too. That he scared the brats badly. He talked about how teaming up with All Might was easy, even if they only fought once. Back when they were seeing if Ace was strong enough to guard the wall. That felt like forever ago.

"Apparently he's losing his quirk. I don't know how, but I feel bad for him. If I lost my fire powers, I'd be devastated," Ace confessed. "I can just tell he gets weaker every time I appear. Poor guy." Thatch looked sad, too. He'd spoken to him before, had gotten along with the guy. And Ace was friends with him, so he was sad for that reason as well.

While he was talking, just about finishing the story, Marco came running over, grinning. Ace stood and Marco hugged him. "I was so worried! I thought you'd be gone for so long, and it was only a few hours." Ace smiled, and said how long it had been for him. Marco frowned, and apologized.

Thatch said, "Wait till you hear what happened this time!" Ace was fine with repeating what had happened, and soon he was sitting on Pops' knee while the others sat around his chair to listen. They were rapt just like Thatch had been. Asking questions. Everybody was interested in the other world.

They thought it was funny he was Firefist Ace there as well. "I can't believe you taunted the guy again," Izo said, shaking his head.

Ace laughed. "Third time, too! Hand-Guy is hella creepy."

Haruta said, "I think it's funny you're going around Endeavor's back to tutor his son! Low blow, man. When did you get so nice?" he asked. Ace shot back that he'd get in trouble if he was immature. He'd already been lightly scorned about taunting his enemy. It was just so natural!

Ace added, "Plus, another fire user is interesting, isn't it? To compare and contrast? How would you feel if there was another phoenix, Marco?" Marco said he'd be interested. "See? I'm doing everything to pass the time. Not doing anything brings my one true enemy: boredom. And boredom brings sadness. You all know I hate being sad!" The crew all nodded. Everyone knew Ace was angry with himself when sad, and had somebody do something with him to distract himself.

So it made sense he was doing all of these things he would never do at home. To distract himself. "I think you think worse of yourself than you are, son," Pops suddenly said. Ace turned around and asked what he meant. "All of these people think you're good, could be of help to their society. Yet you continue to tell them you are not a good person. You _are_ a good person. You don't hurt innocent citizens, and prefer to cause major injury than to kill. I realize you wouldn't want to be a hero. You're a pirate. _But,_ you are not a bad person. And you help them as a distraction. Would a bad person move to do that, or more negative things?"

Ace frowned. "But I'm a pirate. I've killed, and commit crimes all of the time," he pointed out, not understanding why Pops was saying these things. He smiled at Ace.

"And have you done any of those things there? Have you harmed anyone innocent? Have you killed anybody? Do you loot and thieve? Do you fight others just for the fun of it, no matter who they are?" he listed. Ace was still frowning. "Who you are here is a product of this world. That world is different."

Ace sighed, looking away. "I'm a pirate, Pops," Ace muttered.

" _Here_ you are. You have to adapt there. Do what you want, not based on what you like to do here. There are no pirates there, and you are not a so-called villain. This world is completely different, son. You can't compare anything to here," Pops explained kindly. The crew nodded. At least, those closest to him.

Ace insisted that he didn't want to be a hero. "What if it rubs off here? What if I start not liking being a pirate? I can't handle that!" he said. Pops pat his head.

"Even if you did change, you'd still have to be a pirate. You're wanted by the marines and bounty hunters. Besides, you love and stay with us for more reasons just because we are all pirates. I doubt you'd suddenly become a saint, my son. You must adapt there, and if that includes adopting some out of character things, then so be it," Whitebeard said, sounding proud.

"There is no such thing as a hero here, Ace. The marines are not heroes, pirates are not heroes. You are not a bad pirate. Yes, you've done bad things, but there are so many pirates worse than you. And I think as a crew, we're a tiny bit heroes. As a crew, we do good things. We protect our islands, we support our allies, we repay debts and return kindness when it is given. We don't murder for fun, we don't hurt innocent people.

"You cannot think you are a bad person because this world makes us have to do 'bad' things. Everything we are, everyone in this world, is a product of our environments and lives. This other world you can visit, it's simply incomparable. Do you understand?" Whitebeard finished.

Ace was still frowning. Everything Pops said was true. But it wasn't just because he didn't want to be a "good person". He didn't want the weight of being a hero. Plus, he was telling the truth when he said he didn't save people he didn't know. Or at least, not all of them. Not many of them.

He'd helped out before, on the Spade crew and the Whitebeards. But he just… he wasn't a hero. He didn't have the right qualities. And that didn't bother him. They might think he was strong and charismatic, but he was selfish. He just was, and he wasn't ashamed of it. He did what he wanted, and didn't do what he didn't want to do.

Ace stayed with Pops the rest of the day. He was on one shoulder, the one that didn't belong to Marco. "I'm worried, Pops. What if this continues forever? I… I miss everyone, I miss the Moby Dick. The school is so unfamiliar, not cozy. Made of stone, cold and uninviting. My bed sucks, my room is shitty, I have no private bathroom. I don't have Thatch's cooking, I can't spar with anyone, I can't be _myself._ " He balled his fists. "I'm so stupid. I'm never exploring a spooky place ever again!"

Whitebeard said, "If that happens, we will deal with it then. You might need to build a life there. Learn more about it. You say you avoid the technology. If this becomes the norm, you will have to learn things about that world. We will still be here for you, still love you every moment you're gone." He was so kind, Ace couldn't understand why he was called a cruel monster. He didn't kill just to kill for fun.

"I feel like my life has been ripped away. Just shoved into another life. I feel lost. I'm scared here, not knowing when I'm going to disappear. How can I go on missions? How can I lead them if I disappear? I'd let everyone down, maybe even be responsible for failures or deaths.

"I love being a commander, but-" Whitebeard cut him off sternly.

"Ace, I will not demote you for something you cannot control. You clearly don't want this, and it's punishment enough on its own. Punishment for nothing, and I won't punish you for nothing either. It's been three years my son. You are a wonderful commander. Your division loves you, the whole ship loves you.

"And we will support you through this, for however long it may last," he finished sternly. Ace swallowed and nodded. "We have four weeks left. You stayed for two last time."

Ace replied that it would be much longer for Ace if the two weeks continued in the other world as well. "That is true, and I'm sorry that it is. I wish someone else could come with you, but we just can't risk it. I feel terrible, making you be alone."

"No, it would be worse if another person came, too. I think one is enough, even if I wish I had company of someone I could relate to more. One of our own," Ace explained. "You shouldn't feel guilty about that." Whitebeard smiled at him fondly.

He looked to the sea and said, "You are strong, smart and resilient. I have no doubt you can weather this kind of sea. The sea of the unknown." Ace smiled softly, and said that he secretly missed Pops the most.

"I'll admit, I force myself to not think of you. It hurts more to miss you than the others," he confessed quietly. "It is fun, though, being so overpowered there. Hah, I'm actually pretty strong. Here, I'm not nearly close to being as strong as others. And haki has helped me a lot. I'm so thankful I was taught here."

Whitebeard said that haki was indeed probably more useful than many devil fruits. Ace agreed. "Some of the fruits - _quirks_ are super stupid. This perverted, lazy student can just pull sticky purple balls off of his head. Like, how is that useful? And there are others that had bad side effects. Someone has this laser beam that comes from his stomach but using it for more than a few seconds makes him so nauseous he can't move.

"One guy can use electricity but shorts out his brain if he uses too much. Like, he can't talk. Another one only gets powerful by eating sugar, but can overdose on sugar and become dumb," Ace explained. "Why would you want a power that gives you negative side effects?"

"Oh, and did I tell you about my horror stories I told them? Where I brought up the hobby hobby fruit and freaked them all out?" Whitebeard laughed, thinking it was funny. Ace enjoyed talking to Pops so much. He missed him and his kindness. And his fond expressions. He just missed everything about his life here.

But they were right. He can't be so upset, and had to be prepared if this didn't end once they take out the nightmare cave. He still didn't want to be a hero, no matter how much they praised him for being a good person. It just didn't feel like him. He enjoyed breaking rules, making trouble.

He was like a completely different person there. He felt wrong. At the time, he did feel like himself, but when he was brought back home, looking back it was as if he were a stranger in his own body. He had two different personalities. And he definitely liked one more than the other.

Ace was upset and confused and scared, and couldn't sleep even though he was home in his own bed surrounded by his loved ones. _I'm not a good person. Everyone thinks too highly of me. I'm a monster, was born a monster and I'd always have that over my head._

Then his brain argued that he wasn't the son of a monster there. There was no bounty on his head because of his bloodline. But he was still not a good person. Right? He didn't think he was bad, and was a better pirate than some, but he still did things that truly good people would look down upon.

_All Might doesn't look down on you. He knows what you are, the things you've done._

Ace rolled over and sighed before determining he wouldn't be sleeping, and went outside on the highest yardarm. He walked along it before sitting down, loving seeing the stars. They were so hard to see in the other world. He wondered if the constellations were different. Was that world on another planet? He knew nothing about where it was in relation to Ace's world.

So many things were similar while so many weren't. The food, the water, the plants, the sky, clouds and sun. It was all similar or the same. And yet everything else was different. A different world, with strange people, no devil fruits, no pirates. He'd asked All Might once, if pirates existed. He said no. But somehow he knew on their ship what pirates were.

Maybe it was just him, or coming to that world somehow put knowledge in his head. The skull and crossbones on his back hadn't been identified. Surely, if there were pirates or ever had been, they'd recognize it. It was easier if they didn't. He would rather be a villain than go to their jail. He would never be in a prison. Ever. They couldn't make him unless they submerged him in water for every single day.

Two days after Ace arrived, they had a fight with marines, and Ace was himself again. He was an asshole. As he went all out, he taunted them. He angered them, pushing buttons, driving them into more of a fit every second, and then taking that as an advantage to defeat them in the most humiliating way. It was amazing.

After that, Ace had challenged the nearest brother, who was Jozu, and demanded if that was how a hero acted. "Why are you asking me, I don't know," the huge man said, and Ace huffed before finding Marco and demanding the same answer.

Marco grinned. "Maybe in that world you won't be firefist, but a button pusher," he joked, not answering Ace's answer. Pops laughed at the whole thing. The others laughed as well, and Ace eventually gave up on arguing and sighed, walking to Thatch, asking him for sweets.

After he'd confessed that Thatch's food was one of the top things he missed, the chef couldn't not make anything Ace wanted. "Hey, that's not fair!" Haruta accused. Thatch said, "You have these all the time. My dear baby brother Ace may lose his opportunity of enjoying my food. I must make up for that time he misses!" His fist was up, and Ace snickered.

Being here, coming back, was so refreshing. Like a breath of clean, fresh air. Which was a problem in the other world. Apparently humans were ruining the planet with their technology. Another thing his world was better at.

There were still another two days till the next island, and Ace had been there for fourteen days. Two weeks exactly. He was on edge the whole next day. Jumping at every noise, sticking like glue to at least one brother at a time, wearing his hat all day, even during naps. It was scary; he was afraid of being snatched away again. Even if it was only an hour for his crew, even if it wasn't long enough to truly miss him dearly, it was to _him._

He didn't know when he'd come back, but had a feeling it would no longer be a couple hours or even a couple days. But he tried to keep these thoughts away. He was on Pops' knee, arms wrapped around himself, jumping at every noise. He flinched when the captain touched his back.

"Enjoy your time, son. If you leave, then you will have made the most of your time with your family," his father said kindly. Ace never sensed any pity in his voice. It was always care or sympathy. He never made Ace feel less than he was. That was Pops' real superpower. Ace still, to this day, dealt with self-esteem issues and Pops was always there to make him know he was more than he thought he was.

"It's hard. I whine about it so much, I'm sorry," Ace stressed with an annoyed sigh.

Whitebeard smiled. "I do not mind you 'whining' to me. I want you to express your feelings to me when you are comfortable. I will always be there for you. We all lo-" and Ace landed on his back on the hard ground.

He turned on his stomach, and started to sob, punching his fists into the ground. Why did he have to leave _then?_ Why during those words? The universe hated him, why couldn't it give him that. Why did it rip it away THEN?! Was his life just a big joke? The universe thought it was funny to make him miserable?

When he realized that it was getting late, and he was still crying, he stopped, and instead curled into a ball and sat in the grass, looking at his boots. He was trying to clear his mind, move on. Pops had said the words so many times, it wasn't as if it was the first time he'd ever heard him or anybody else say they loved him.


	15. A Nightmare Experience

**Anime_Moon00: Thank you! Poor, lonely Ace. :( I'll get your feels pretty bad in chapter 17 lol.**

#### Lucynda_Raciak: I do enjoy hurting the characters, lol. Angst is the best to read and write! Ace is 22 in this, so two years after Teach was supposed to kill Thatch. None of that happened, as Teach failed. BAKA Teach. I want Marco and Luffy to team up and kill him. They both have loved ones to avenge. 

#### MusicalIllness: And it shall suffer further! Mwhahaha!

#### Trying_To_Be_Happy: Or running into Zoro cause he got so lost he ended up in another world lol. 

#### Adamari2001: Thank you! The sadness is on hiatus in this chapter, but it shall continue, don't doubt it!

* * *

**Merry Christmas everyone! Here's a fun chapter! Well, fun to write. A lot of shit goes down and it's a pretty long one. Enjoy~**

* * *

He wiped his eyes and made sure he'd gone fifteen minutes without crying before he headed inside. It had been two hours at least of crying pitifully. He walked into the school, looking for anybody and found Cementoss inside.

"Hey. How long was I gone?" he asked tiredly. He had to suck it up. He couldn't go back to moping. His family had faith in every choice he made here. He took a deep breath and touched the key chain. How long had it been? He couldn't tell. How was Mirio? He couldn't see him being mad, he just hoped he hadn't gotten into trouble after Ace left. No, Mirio was strong and had been patrolling just fine without Ace.

"Mirio called us three hours ago to say you'd disappeared," Cementoss said. "I'm sure he'll be happy you're back." Ace nodded, thanking the teacher before he went to get anything to the eat, even if he wasn't hungry.

He found All Might eating as well, looking sad. "Hey," Ace said sadly.

"Oh, you're back. How long were you gone?" All Might asked, sounding concerned. And something else was bothering him.

Ace replied, "I was there two weeks. When I arrived, I'd only been missing an hour. The same here. I was only missing for an hour." When All Might said he'd thought it was three, Ace vaguely said he needed some time by himself outside, and the pro-hero understood.

After they were finished, All Might said something again. "Summer break has started. The kids won't be in class. You could work more with Nighteye during the time. I know you don't like being bored." Ace nodded, saying that was fine. "I am sorry, Ace. That this is happening to you. I think you handle it wonderfully, though." Ace thanked him and got up to leave.

"Can you call Mirio to tell him I'm back and okay? And sorry?" All Might nodded and Ace left to go run some laps to tire himself out. He ran as fast as he could along the thick wall until it was late at night, and he finally went to his room to sleep. He sighed, wishing he could just bring his own room here. But he couldn't, and wishing for such things was a waste of time.

Ace was eating a poptart for breakfast the next day when Eraser Head walked over. "Hey, Ace. In a little over a week there will be a summer camp that the students go to. You wanna come to help out?" he offered. "Nighteye gives you passes since your part-time and an unofficial employee."

Ace nodded, thinking it would be a good distraction. He was surprised and a little happy with being called an unofficial employee. "So, am I seen as All Might's assistant here?" Eraser Head nodded.

"You two get along well and fought well together. You've proved your strength and character of being trustworthy, even if you tell yourself you're not a good person," he replied. Ace chuckled.

"Are you insinuating that I _am_ a good person?" Ace asked dryly. Eraser Head was blunt and honest, and didn't really take other's feelings into account, so he replied honestly.

"Yes. Your version of 'selfish' doesn't make you a bad person. It makes you a regular person. So, to us, you're not a bad person, no matter what you say. Though, if you turned into a villain, we wouldn't hesitate to act," he added, though his voice was flat like always. He didn't sound angry or anything.

Ace chuckled. "Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not planning to be a villain," he replied dryly. He asked when the camp was and he was told eight days from then. "If the pattern continues, I'll be there for that. Thanks for including me," Ace said.

"No problem," and he left. Ace walked to Nighteye's place and knocked on the door. It was early, but they were open already. Well, working already. He opened it and saw Mirio already there. "Ace! I was so worried," he said, standing up from the desk where he was doing paperwork. Ace had finished all of his for the next month at home so he both had something to do and felt productive.

"Sorry to worry you. I heard I was only gone for about an hour," Ace replied honestly. "What did it look like when I disappeared?" he wondered. He wasn't exactly able to see himself leave.

Mirio said, "It was like all of you just turned into a light and then weren't there. Like you hadn't been there at all. Don't worry, I was fine after you left. I'm just glad you got to go home again. How long were you gone there?" he asked. Nighteye was listening in, but Ace didn't care. He knew enough to roughly understand what was going on.

Ace answered, "Fifteen days. Just like last time I was here. It was just yesterday for you but it was over two weeks ago for me. I was gone an hour in this world. When I got back home, they said I was gone for an hour. If the trend continued, nobody will really know I'm gone until I come back." his voice was flat. He couldn't help it, leaving when Pops was saying they loved him had been a blow to his enthusiasm. "So, are we going on patrol?"

Mirio nodded. They were going further into the city that day, using the bullet train. "Sir, I'll be helping with the summer camp for the U.A. students in eight days. I won't be here for that," he explained.

Nighteye nodded. "I knew from the start your presence would be erratic. Which is why you are part-time." Ace nodded and he and Mirio walked out, the other already in costume. Ace was subdued during the walk to the station.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly, even while they were still keeping an eye out for those on the posters they were given. Ace had their faces memorized and it seemed Mirio did as well, since the papers were stuffed in one of Ace's bigger pockets.

He nodded and sighed. "Just left at a bad time. That's all. I'll be fine, don't worry," he said with a reassuring smile. "Was it boring after I left?" he asked, sounding joking.

"Well, nobody was afraid of me when I approached. You've made a bad impression, Firefist Ace. Though it doesn't matter much, does it?" Ace shook his head. His image didn't matter unless he ever decided to become a hero. Which was unlikely and unrealistic. He'd have to go through so much work. No way. If he ever did want the public to think of him in a good way, Ace was good at charming people even when he didn't try.

Mirio said it was good to have him back. They went on patrol every day for six days, the trips lasting almost all day. On the third day, they were told by Nighteye that the information that they'd gotten about the gang had been essential, and they had all been apprehended. He and Mirio felt great after that.

Nighteye trusted them more with stealth missions. And Ace's observation haki was incredibly helpful with stalking or following people from a distance without them noticing. Mirio was better at getting inside buildings without a sound, while Ace waited on the rooftops most times. Gathering information was very easy for them.

It felt like he was going on missions at home, so the familiar feeling even in a different place was nice. Ace felt productive and very distracted during patrols or specific mission/tasks. The paperwork was easy, and he often finished up Mirio's if he needed to. Ace was faster at it, a fast writer.

On the seventh day, Ace went shopping for anything he needed for camp. Mirio was the guy to ask since he'd been to it before. Ace had no idea how to shop in this world, and the school gave him money to buy supplies since he had no source of income himself, so going with someone else was necessary.

He bought bug spray, a canteen, a pillow, sunglasses and some soap and discount shampoo. He didn't need sunscreen at all. He couldn't be sunburned and never overheated. He was given a duffle bag from the school to use.

-x-

Ace was napping in the bus with his hat over his face, waiting for the kids to arrive to head to the camp. He wasn't told much about it, which was fine. He'd find out regardless, and since he lived at the school, he was the first to arrive at the pick up, his bag in the compartment under the bus.

He found himself growing less and less fascinated by this world's tech. He'd seen it enough times to lose interest in learning how it worked. And he was glad, when he went home, that he had not become dependent on the tech here. It was a bonus for him to use that stuff, not a necessity. Cars were no longer amazing, the bullet train had gotten old, the internet was still not clicking and he rarely used it.

When he was told he needed some way to communicate to the staff of the school, he asked for something simple. So the teacher's room and All Might had walkie talkies to Ace, who carried it clipped to his belt. Apparently it was old fashioned, but it was better than anything fancy. And it was a lot cheaper, so that was a plus.

He was on class 1-A's bus, in the back, taking up one whole row until he heard people and felt presences nearby. He sat up, sitting at the very back so he wasn't in the way of anybody. "Oh, Ace is here! Are you gonna be riding with us?" Freckles asked.

"Yup. I hope there's no hard feelings about the fight with me and All Might," Ace said when Freckles sat next to him. His friends sat closer, all of them a bit wary of Ace.

Freckles shook his head. "You guys were so cool together! Even though both of you were pretty scary. You played a good villain! I think it made both of us worried and uncomfortable, making it feel super realistic," Freckles rambled. He was interrupted when Bakugo saw him.

"YOU!" he roared. Ace gave him a simple wave. "You fucking asshole l'll kill you!" Ace wasn't the one to respond, it was laser beam boy. He needed to leave their names, and had a list of them in his pocket he'd fallen asleep reading. Oops.

The laser beam boy said, "Oh, but weren't you completely helpless against him during your fight? He broke one of your gauntlets and then sucked away the fire." The others grew worried with Bakugo's expression.

"It's fine, it was just training. Nothing I did or said was personal," Ace said easily. He wished someone else was here besides the kids. He felt out of place being an adult. If he were 20 or 21, he may feel more close to their age. But he'd been an adult for four years. Even if he was the youngest on the crew still, he was an adult now.

Bakugo scoffed and plopped down, radiating hate and anger. Uraraka said, "You really got me when we watched the recording! You were like a completely different person." Ace said that was what he'd been going for and what he was glad he achieved. He really was so different from that in this world.

Again, this was him. But he knew it was edited. "So you live at the school, right? Are you bored in the summer when no one is in class?" Kirishima asked curiously. Bakugo was still brooding, and he probably would be even after Ace left his presence. He nodded.

"It's not boring since I work part-time for Nighteye with Mirio," he responded. Nobody knew who that was. "Sir Nighteye runs the Nighteye agency, an agency that hires heroes and sidekicks to do work. I go on patrolls daily. That was when the three nomus were attacking. Ha, that was my first day of even doing it." Freckles was writing everything down in a notebook, something Ace noticed he did often.

Todoroki pointed out that he didn't have any hero license. "Yeah, I don't. Maybe they trust me because All Might and the faculty trust me."

Once the bus started to drive, talking broke out between groups. Ace nudged Freckles' arm. "Even though I didn't like the second last match, the first one at the sports festival, I was happy you used something I taught you. And I'm sorry it was only one session, things kind of didn't go to plan."

"Oh! That's fine, I learned a lot just from that one time! And I practiced and memorized the moves. You were right, drawing how to do them really helped me remember how to do them. So that was super good advice," he gushed. The drive wasn't too long or too bad. There were only a couple people that really talked to him.

Nobody bothered him when he napped, which was nice. But once they stopped, Ace woke up and was last to get off of the bus. He let the students all in front of him, since he was the assistant and was taller than all of them by more than a few inches. Eraser Head didn't explain why they stopped since there was no bathroom anywhere in sight. There was a car that had multiple people in it that hadn't come out yet.

But when they did, Ace could help the "hah?" when two robot cat outfitted girls came out and introduced himself as the "wild, wild pussycats". Ace couldn't help but think of female versions of the Delcavo brothers. They had fake cat claws as well. He held in the laugh, it wasn't appropriate. _Fuck appropriate_ Ace grumbled in the back of his head. He whispered at it to grow up, quiet enough that nobody here heard it.

Oh, and there was a cranky looking little boy there. Nobody else looked impressed by their intro, but Eraser Head introduced them anyway as the Pussycats, who would be the pro-heroes working with them during the camp. The only one truly impressed was Freckles who started rambling a ton of facts about them. Even the heroes looked uncomfortable.

They saw Ace and asked Eraser Head who he was. "This is Ace, he'll be working as both a body guard and a helper for whatever you need. He's All Might's unofficial assistant," he said in his flat voice. Ace gave a smile and a bow.

"Nice to meet you," he said simply, and that was that. The little boy was glaring at Ace who didn't return the glare but didn't smile. He seems like the kind of kid who would be angry if you showed them kindness and assume you were babying them.

Ace was shocked when the blue cat hero attacked Freckles for hinting at her true age. "I'm 18 at heart!" she roared angrily. Then the reason they'd stopped there was shown. The students were to make it down the mountain, which was large and downhill, a dense forest that would probably be difficult for many of them to make their way through.

"It's 9:30 right now," the pink cat hero said with a grin. "Maybe noon?"

"No!"

"You can't be serious!"

"Get back to the bus!"

The students weren't having this, even though Ace wanted to see how fast he could get down. But he was a helper assistant, he had to be mature. He wasn't there to have fun. All of the kids started running to the bus screaming. Ace thought it was a bit much. As long as there were no wild animals it was just a downward hike.

They didn't even stop when they were told they wouldn't get lunch if they didn't make it down the mountain in time. If Ace was one of them, that moment he would have started running. Missing a meal, especially when he was their age, would have ruined his entire day. Ace moved away from the bus when he knew the blue cat hero was going to land there and force the dirt up so it knocked them off of the cliff and into the forest, whether they liked that or not.

Ace walked to the ledge, sensing them all standing nobody was badly injured. "Anyone hurt?" Eraser Head asked.

"If they are then they're heading down regardless," Ace said simply.

The pink cat hero called down that they were allowed to use their quirks, and that they had three hours to make it through the beasts' forest. So it did have monsters. Well, good training for them. He wished he could take part, but he had to constantly remind himself that he was an adult, basically at work. Not a silly pirate who could be as weird or immature as he wanted.

Ace walked back to the bus and asked, "Are we taking the luggage to the camp to set up?" he asked. The little boy was still glaring at him. He didn't look back.

"Yeah. We're heading down now," Eraser Head said. Ace went back in the bus while the homeroom teacher spoke about things Ace wasn't sure of with the pussycats. He wished All Might was there instead. So he got back on the bus, he and Eraser Head the only ones beside the driver.

The silence was a bit awkward for Ace before the teacher spoke. "Thanks for coming. If anything happens I'm sure you'll give a lot of help." Ace smiled and nodded. "You can use fire without burning things, correct?" Ace nodded, saying he could burn certain things while leaving others unscathed.

Eraser Head nodded. It didn't take long to get to the camp, and when they parked and the bus's doors opened, the teacher said, "Others think your battle with All Might against Bakugo and Midoriya was impressive. That you make a good villain." Ace sighed.

"I'm thinking it wasn't worth it to do that. Everyone is saying that, and I don't want to be seen as a villain," Ace said as he began taking out the duffle bags. The girl's were much heavier.

Eraser Head helped, though Ace did most of the carrying, over his shoulders and in his arms. "All Might wanted you both to act like villains. You just followed instructions." And the conversation was over.

He came into contact with the boy again after he unloaded all of the luggage, and they just stared at one another. "My name is Ace. I'm a helper, I guess. What's your name?" he asked, trying to be friendly. He didn't crouch, knowing that it pissed him off when he was little when someone would show how much taller they were than him.

The kid punched Ace in the nuts, but it went right through and into flames. "That wasn't very friendly. All I did was introduce myself." The kids' eyes widened, and Ace grinned. "Normal attacks won't work on me. I'm made of fire." He walked away, leaving the kid, whose name he still didn't know, looking irritated and embarrassed.

The pink cat hero saw this and apologized for his behavior. "It's fine, it didn't hurt. What's his name?"

"Kota." Ace nodded. He was sitting against the building when Kota came up to him again, glaring. Ace said nothing, waiting for him to say or do something first.

He demanded if Ace was a hero. "No. I'm an assistant to All Might and help with the students."

"So you are a hero," he snapped.

"I said I'm not," Ace repeated. "I'll never be a hero," he said casually. The kid looked confused and asked why. "I just don't want to be. I'm not hero material. Heroes have to be selfless all the time. That's not me. I won't sacrifice my life for people I've never met. So you can see why I don't want to be a hero," Ace explained. Kota's glare faltered before he sat down, a few yards away from Ace.

He put his hat over his face to block the sun and napped after being informed that they would take longer than three hours.

Ace had had lunch way before he sensed anyone even in range. He sat sitting against the building with the pussycats and Eraser Head standing. It was 5:20 PM. So now he sat waiting, before he felt presences finally in range. He didn't need to say anything since the blue cat hero made it clear they were there. And were they a _mess._ All of them were exhausted and many injured. Ace had been told that the monsters they fought were made of earth by one of the pussycat's devil - _quirk! They are quirks!_

"Wh-What did you mean THREE HOURS?!" the sugar man shouted angrily.

Blue cat hero said, "It's how long it would have taken us. Sorry," with a wink, showing she wasn't especially sorry. Ace stood up, dusting the dirt off of his shorts and putting his hat back on. He noticed there were a ton of mosquitos, but they fried once they touched Ace's skin. He didn't really need bug spray, but Mirio told him it was a must, so he did.

Ace watched in curiosity when Kota was introduced, still seeming grumpy, and how Freckles was the first to approach him. "Hi, Kota. My name is Midoriya, I'm from the hero course at U.A." First mistake: crouching. Second mistake: mentioning heroes.

When he'd chilled out after finding out Ace wasn't and didn't intend to be a hero, Ace assumed he was anti-hero or something like that. So, Kota nailed him in the nuts like he'd tried with Ace. But it hit poor Freckles. Ace grimaced for him.

Ace was correct that Kota was anti-hero when Iida demanded to know why his friend had been "hit in the scrotum". Thatch would have laughed like a child at hearing it said like that. As pirates, they didn't really call body parts by their correct names. When asked the question, Kota responded, "I don't want to hang around guys who want to be heroes!" and stormed off. Quite the different reaction to Ace when he said he didn't want to be one.

Since Ace had already taken the baggage off, the kids were sent to eat, bathe and then sleep. They were dead on their feet already, but no doubt starving. And they were reinvigorated with the delicious food. There was no alcohol, sadly. Though he'd been drinking before he got back to this world, he could wait another fifteen days. He had 7 days left before he presumed his next disappearance was.

He wouldn't disappear while at this place or he'd be completely undependable. He just hoped the pattern would continue. And maybe he'd only be gone from here an hour, who knew? Ace ate the food just as enthusiastically as the starving kids. He had been informed that the kids would be making their own food after this tonight. Ace was fine with making his own meals. He could cook alright. Not as good as any of the chefs on the Moby, but he had the right temperature to cook meat.

After dinner was finished and cleaned up, Eraser Head approached Ace. "Go to the bathhouse and keep them behaved. Especially the boys." Ace nodded. He wasn't taking a bath with children, so he sat outside the sliding door to both bathtubs, still in his shorts and hat.

"I'm here listening, so you better behave or that water's gonna get real hot, real fast," Ace called. That did the trick, and they all behaved themselves perfectly. He could tell nobody was trying to peek and could feel where they were by his haki. They stayed in the baths. Ace could hear the useless boy lamenting that he couldn't peep.

While he was still listening in, reading a magazine that most words didn't make sense for him in, Kota walked over. Ace didn't acknowledge him. "You. Is it true you aren't a hero? You work for the hero school, aren't you a hero?" he demanded.

Ace put the magazine down. "I work for the school because they house and feed me. And it passes time. They let me work because I'm trustworthy and my powers are helpful." Then he paused. "You hate heroes, huh? Why?"

Kota founded. "N-None of your business!"

Ace said, "I'd like a reason as to why I was punched in the balls," simply. Kota glared at the floor. "I won't tell anyone else, swear it." Kota continued to glare until he sighed, seeing Ace unwavering.

"My parents were heroes. They died for it. Stupid. Heroes are stupid," Kota said angrily, though his voice was thick with emotion. Ace sighed, understanding why he would hate heroes. "Everyone said they died a good death-"

Ace interrupted, "No death is a good death." Kota looked up and Ace gave him a smile. "My parents died before I ever met them. My father was executed before I was born, never got to know him. But everyone said it was an honorable death. Who cares, dying is dying. It's not something to be happy over."

Kota looked shocked, but nodded slowly in agreement. "But, I don't think all heroes are bad. To be honest, I think it's cool how selfless they can be. I don't understand it, but it's admirable. Many heroes do great things here. I know a hero that's very rude and cranky to me, but he still protects people. I don't think any death is honorable, and I don't know anything about your parents, but I like to think I'd die doing what I love. Maybe it was the same for your parents," he finished with a genuine smile. "Now, there are some creeps in there, you wanna help me guard the girls?"

He said nothing about the tears on Kota's eyes and down his cheeks. He nodded and sat next to Ace. They were silent for a bit, but Ace seemed to have Kota's acceptance. Being honest is always how Ace introduced himself. You can't form any relationship when the foundation is a lie, no matter how simple.

Kota fell asleep eventually. Eraser Head was there. "I didn't peg you as emotionally deep," he said in a bored voice.

Ace smiled. "I guess it depends on the situation," he replied. Eraser Head nodded, and then announced that the bath was over and they were to go to bed immediately. Kota woke from this and Ace stood up, stretching. Kota seemed about 5 or 6, a very broody, familiar looking 5 or 6 year old, and followed him out of the room behind Eraser Head. He said that he'd be keeping watch. "Okay," Ace said simply. Kota was still behind him.

"Why don't you go back to your aunt? I'm probably gonna be up pretty late," Ace said in a friendly voice. Kota frowned but nodded, punching Freckles in the nuts again when he walked past him.

Eraser Head ordered they all go to bed now, and Ace went outside, climbing the roof to keep watch. He said he'd be switched halfway through the night. "You've had enough naps today." Ace had chuckled and agreed.

Ace switched with Eraser Head at midnight and Ace went to the room he was sharing with the man and passed out, falling asleep easily. He woke up to an annoying alarm with a kid's face right next to him. "Jeez. You startled me," Ace said and stood up. "I'll be out in a minute, I gotta change," he told the 5 year old patiently. He nodded and hurried into the other room. Pink cat hero came in once he was dressed and putting on his boots. Mandalay, her name was Mandalay.

"You seem to have made quite the impression on him," she said curiously. Ace put his hat on and said, "I was just being honest with him."

She asked what they talked about. "Both of our parents deaths and his hatred of heroes," Ace replied. He went to the bathroom attached to the private rooms and brushed his teeth. She seemed surprised that they talked about that.

Eraser Head walked past saying, "He doesn't look like it, but he's good with kids." Ace chuckled. When he left the room Kota was in the hallway and followed him around. Ace had a feeling his job was going to be harder if he followed him around all day, but he didn't want to be mean. He was 5 and obviously unfriendly. But Ace had been and now Kota seemed to want to stay with him.

Oh well. If it became a problem he'd kindly address it.

He walked outside and stayed by the building while Eraser Head addressed the sleepy students. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. Today we will begin training camp to improve your strength in earnest." As he listened to Eraser Head give instructions, Kota was standing next to him and glaring.

"They're not all heroes yet. You can't be mad at them for their future goals," Ace said simply. Kota looked away. "I know what it's like to dislike a certain group of people, but it's their choice, and we can't usually change anything about it. So why waste your energy being mad at people for what they haven't done yet?" the young man reasoned. "Do you know how much stuff they put themselves through? I think it's amazing that people can be that determined. Can put their body through pain to come out strong on the other side. Don't you agree?"

Kota grudgingly nodded, and his glare softened a little bit. Ace had still been listening to Eraser Head talk. He was good at multitasking.

Ace hadn't been there for the beginning part of the semester, so he hadn't seen how they were at the very start. He hadn't seen Bakugo throw the ball yet. Ace whistled quietly at how far it went. Man, he wished he was a student right now, and not the helper assistant adult. Eraser Head had told him he wasn't going to be doing much but making sure there was nobody suspicious. After all, the League of Villains had harassed Freckles. The second time, at least, since they approached U.A.

Third if you counted the botched one that Ace ruined. Felt like forever ago. Kota looked at him when he whistled. "Wish I could be doing that right now. Looks pretty fun," Ace said simply.

Finishing his speech about them needing improvement and insulting their progress a little, Eraser Head grinned and said, "It'll be so hard it'll feel like you're dying. But try not to actually die."

And he wasn't kidding as Ace observed a very long, very personalized torture session. The Grape boy was even bleeding from the head. There were lots of screams being heard. "Don't focus on them, focus on your haki. At USJ your haki told us where the villains were before they became visible," Eraser Head said.

"Alright," Ace replied, prying Kota away from him while he headed to the roof again, closing his eyes and extending his haki, ignoring everything else around him but looking for presences. He counted them. All of class 1-A and 1-B, the teachers, and those who resided at the cabin. Any more than that number and he would alert somebody immediately.

The day was boring, but Ace didn't open his eyes once, not allowing himself to get distracted by anything. Everyone was pretty much dead when they got back inside to make dinner. Curry. "Do I help them?" Ace asked, patting Kota on the head next to him.

"No, this is part of their training," Vlad King said. Ace sighed. This was going to take awhile.

"Then I'm gonna go back to my post again. I'll inform you if anything suspicious happens." Eraser Head said okay.

Ace was taking his duty seriously, knowing that his haki was indispensable since it was more than any sense. He would know if someone was near without seeing, hearing or smelling them. The food was brought up to him by Pixie-bob, the blue cat hero, and it honestly wasn't that bad. "They actually did an okay job," Ace said, happy his food wasn't dog shit. But the day was boring beyond belief. He did his appointed job regardless.

He wished he could watch him training, since it all sounded interesting, but he couldn't. He wasn't complaining, he didn't come along because he thought he'd have a fun time at camp. He came to be useful and pass time, even if some of the passing time was slow as hell.

But then he noticed a presence leaving. He jumped off of the roof and got Mandalay. "Kota walked off the property but I am still able to keep track of him. And one of the students is going after him. Should you send someone else?" She asked how he knew. "A power of mine. The guy who followed him is responsible and trustworthy. Should we leave them be?"

Mandalay looked uncomfortable. "Keep track of him." Ace promised he would and got back on the roof after telling Eraser Head where Freckles had gone.

He stayed there for hours, keeping track before he felt a sleep attack coming on and passed out just long enough for him to miss a blip of presences.

The next two days were just as boring. Ace was sitting on watch while everyone else was working on their quirks. He had had his eyes closed for four hours now, and his back hurt and he was bored and angry. Why was he the only one keeping look out? But he didn't say anything criticizing their lax security.

Apparently they chose this place because it could be well monitored, but Ace didn't like that they were surrounded by woods. He felt he was going overboard, but something was going to go wrong, and tonight was the best night with the stupid test of courage the students were doing. Well, he'd make sure nothing bad happened.

Once it started, kids made their way into the woods and back out safely. But then, ten people were there, and had just appeared. He jumped off of the roof and ran to Mandalay, the nearest hero. "There are ten people that have suddenly appeared in numerous places in the woods. What do we do? What do I do?"

She was frozen up, and Ace ran to get Eraser Head, but he wasn't inside! He was in the woods with the kid who failed the exam! Damnit, who does he take orders from? He couldn't find Vlad King either. They probably thought they were safe here where the roads were easy to monitor. They'd come here specifically for the safety from villains, when it was literally the best place for villains.

Trees to confuse and slow others, to hide behind, to not be seen from above. The woods here were dense as well. He went out and found Pixie bob was already taken in. Mineta was screaming, and Ace told him to calm down, instinctively standing in front of them. He felt Eraser Head and Vlad King weren't even in his range anymore. Where had they gone? They had a couple of students with them since there were some missing from the count, but they were the presences of people who had the extra lessons. And they were banned from the test of courage.

Those five were safe and most likely had the teachers with them. "What do we do?" Ace asked quietly. "Tiger, what do we do?!" he demanded, voice void of fear now. He was used to this, but not used to those to protect being kids and not seasoned pirates. They were weak, clumsy, young. They'd panic, even if they had come across villains before. "Give me permission to fight!" Ace demanded, voice echoing loudly. Finally getting attention.

In this stupid place he had to have permission to harm others. Which was ridiculous, it's damn self defense. "Permission granted!" Tiger called and Ace sprinted towards the nearest presence in the wood, accompanied by two and one that was unconscious.

He sprinted into the woods and found Bakugo and Todoroki, who had one on his back. Ace had just gotten a message that everyone could fight, he wasted precious seconds to ask for permission. He acted immediately, grabbing the man around the neck, his sharp armor piercing through Ace completely into the fire.

"Don't you fucking touch them!" Ace roared and engulfed his entire face in fire, at the same time with the other one, he snapped his neck and dropped him. "You both! Come with me! We're going to the next one!" Bakugo and Todoroki were shocked from the intense and brutal murder Ace had committed. "Snap out of it! Let's go!"

"That was my ki-!" Bakugo started.

"If you _fucking_ argue with me right now, I'm going to knock you out of the battle completely. Do you understand me?" Ace said darkly, channeling his second division commander vibes. Todoroki nodded and Bakugo scowled. "Let's go! You guys are strong, help me out!" he shouted, and all three of them went to where Ace's haki was telling him the next villain was, with two girls.

"Todoroki, start an ice trail to find our way back and be ready to ice someone up! I don't know what the next person can do!" Ace shouted, the other two having trouble keeping up with him, Todoroki still carrying someone. It didn't take long for them to find the next target. It was a highschool girl. With some weird torture looking contraptions on her back.

"Tsu, Uraraka, get away from her!" Ace shouted, immediately on the woman. He gripped her equipment with a haki covered hand and shattered it all, pinning her to the ground with his hand. "Todoroki, ice her up!" Ace shouted, and she was pinned to the ground in ice. He lit the ice on fire, trapping her completely.

"We're going to the next, now! It's not safe for any of you to be alone. Bakugo, take the back! I'm counting on you!" he shouted, not waiting for an answer, but feeling them all working to catch up with him. "Uraraka, lessen Todoroki's weight so he can move easier!"

"O-Okay!" she said and made the guy who the ice user was carrying a little lighter. Todoroki was still leaving a trail of ice. The five of them stopped at the edge of the gas field. "Stop! We don't know if it's flammable, I need to test it." He stuck a hand inside the gas and lit his finger up. It dissipated, didn't blow up. It was a big risk.

"There are people in there. We need to rescue them. Bakugo, Todoroki, use your flames to clear out the gas! Keep it focused in front of you so you don't breathe it in! Uraraka, Tsu, keep this guy. Don't leave this circle!" he shouted and created a fire circle around the three. "Let's go!" he shouted and he, Todoroki and Bakugo used their flames to clear out the poison. They came across the offender and Ace shouted at the explosive boy not to make attention. "Don't say his name, call him bomb boy. We now know they're after him, but I need to trust you to do what I say and keep yourself safe, okay? Understand?!"

"Y-Yes!"

"Keep clearing the gas!" Ace said as he shot out a huge burst of flame against the guy who was making the gas, clearing all of the air around him of gas and leaving him wide open. He was panicking. "I'll clear the flames as soon as possible!" There was already a fight going but he wanted to take out as many as he could without any of the students getting too hurt.

The gas guy shot at him but the bullet went right through Ace's forehead and he continued forward, the guy screaming about what kind of quirk he had. Ace wrapped his legs around the guy's middle and flipped him backwards, yanking his neck so hard it broke but just in the right way as he didn't die. He didn't usually make this type of kill. Ace broke both legs just in case and surrounded him with flames for more security.

"Everyone, follow the trail of ice! Don't touch the flaming ice mound! Run past it! If you keep going forward you'll come across a dead body and continue straight and you'll be back with Tiger and Mandalay! Hopefully Eraser Head will be there. And Mandalay said nothing about gas, the gas should be clear where she is! Be safe!" He reached his arms out and sucked up all of the forest fire from Todoroki and Bakugo's less controlled fire.

Ace turned around and saw Todoroki and no one else. "Where the fuck did he GO?!" Ace raged. He took a few deep breaths. "Okay, he's this way," Ace said, gaining his cool again. He wasn't used to having to protect weak people all at once from multiple enemies! "Stay close and don't wander off!"

"Right!" at least somebody wasn't taking this lightly.

"That idiot is running to the fire!" Ace swore, and he and Todoroki went even faster. Ace heard people screaming from the fire and thrust his hands into the burning flames. It was blue, but not incredibly hot. He sucked up enough for those trapped by the flames to get through. "You all! Follow the ice!" he shouted as the flames were pulled into his body. "Run!"

The group of freaked out teens followed Todoroki's ice path. "How do you know how to fight like this?" Todoroki asked.

"Experience. There, the fires are gone enough for now. That fucking idiot! I told him not to run off!" Ace said angrily, but was still keeping track of his surroundings. He felt a villain not far from there, with two presences and what felt like a monster. "Can you keep up?" Ace asked. Todoroki was panting but nodded, and they sprinted to the east where Ace felt a monster coming towards them.

Ace roughly shoved Todoroki to the ground, just missing a swipe of black matter. He hit the ground hard, but was okay. "We don't have time for this!" Ace shouted. Bakugo was the target, but he'd run off. It wasn't Ace's job to be his babysitter when he wasn't willing to follow anything for his own safety!

Ace yelled at Todoroki and Shoji to run far from where he was, at least fifty feet. Dark Shadow came towards him and Ace let loose an explosion of conqueror's haki, knocking Tokoyami out and making Dark Shadow crawl back into its owner before disappearing.

Ace was with Tokoyami over his shoulder. "Everyone okay?" he called. He was frantic. Now they had Ace, a horrifically injured Freckles, Shoji with a missing extremity, Todoroki who was exhausted and sore, and an unconscious Tokoyami. "Todoroki, where's the ice path?!"

"I- I got distracted!" he said, frantic as well.

"It's fine. We'll find another way out. Is everyone okay to sprint?" he asked. The smoke was getting to them. They nodded.

"Where's Kacchan!?" Freckles shouted.

"I don't know, he ran off when I told him not to! We can't focus on him right now. We have to get as many people safe as we can!" Ace shouted, leading them out.

"No, we have to help Kacchan!"

Ace finally shouted, "He doesn't want help! That's why the idiot ran from our plan! There's nothing we can do right now, I have no idea where he is!" he shouted, burning away obstacles as they ran while panting. Ace was exhausted, he was still keeping multiple flame rings going, had used conquerors haki, had used physical force and was out of breath.

Freckles was struggling but Shoji kept him still. "I'm sorry, Midoriya! But Bakugo isn't the only one who was targeted!"

They finally reached the clearing where there was no gas, and found a large group of the people Ace had found and led out. Now there were twelve of them. "Please, go back for him!" Freckles begged. He scowled, but ran back into the woods. He came across Eraser Head, who also looked exhausted.

"Ace!"

"I got three of them! One dead, one contained and one immobilized! I saved as many as I could and stopped Dark Shadow and put out the fire but Bakugo fucking ran off and I don't know where he went," Ace said, his vision fading.

"Ace, stop! You've reached your limit! Go back to camp, I'll look for Bakugo," Eraser Head said, looking concerned. Ace nodded but ran to where he sensed Tsu and Uraraka.

He released the fire. "I'm sorry I kept you waiting! Follow the ice!" Ace said, he and the girls running. Ace came across the fire mound. The girl hadn't escaped. Her broken equipment was all around her. When they passed the mangled and burnt corpse, Ace yelled at them to not look.

They made it back in the clearing and Ace made everyone get into a tight circle. He created a fire wall around them. "Don't leave the circle, no one else can get in!" Ace commanded. He finally stopped, putting his hands on his knees.

Fourteen. He'd gotten fourteen out of the forest. The gas was dissipating, the fire was held back a bit. He had to stay conscious to keep the fire rings going. "Freckles! Eraser Head is looking for Bakugo," Ace assured him. "You can't fight anymore, you need to rest."

Ace didn't have a scratch, but his shorts were messed up. His hat was safe, too, resting on his back. His elbow guard was ripped and he had dirt all over him and leaves in his hair. He looked completely exhausted.

Suddenly, the fighting stopped and those who were fighting in the clearing, fighting the two pussycats, disappeared into a portal. He felt the presences he hadn't taken out leave. Bakugo had been apprehended. At least they wouldn't hurt anybody else. Ace still didn't release the fire rings.

He went to where the high school girl's body should be, which was gone. Damn it. He hurried to the other guy. He was still there, barely breathing. He was in a terrible shape, but Ace had done well to break the neck without killing him. He would just be paralyzed for the rest of his life.

Ace picked him up carefully and carried him back to camp. He ran into Eraser Head, who also looked exhausted. "I caught one for questioning," Ace said. The guy moaned in pain.

"What did you do to him?"

"I broke his neck without killing him," Ace explained. "Did they get Bakugo?" Eraser Head nodded.

Ace sighed angrily. "I had a plan. And it would have worked if he hadn't run off. I got fourteen others out, they're back at camp. But I need to sleep. Can I trust you with this guy?" Ace asked, voice heavy.

"Yes, you can," Eraser Head swore. He picked up the other guy while now carrying an unconscious Ace under his arm, heading back to camp.

When Ace woke up, the fires were no longer burning but there was smoke in the air. Kids were crying. The fire ring had disappeared when he passed out. His body was tired, but his mind was rested. He couldn't have been out long. He sat up and ran his hands down his face.

"How are you, Ace-san?" All Might's voice asked.

"Tired," Ace replied. "Did anyone die? How many are hurt?" How many did he fail to help?

"Nobody died, but 4 students are unconscious or in critical condition by the gas." Ace scowled, putting his head in his hands. "You've done enough, Ace-san. It isn't your job to save everyone. I often can't save everyone, which has much worse consequences than this. But Bakugo is gone." All Might gave a small smile. "You took out three villains and got 14 students to safety. You've done more than enough," he repeated. Ace still felt bad he hadn't burnt the gas away earlier.

"What about Freckles' state? He hurt himself badly again," Ace said, and stood up.

All Might was quiet for a moment. "He's going to be seen by Recovery Girl. There was nothing else he could have done in the moment." Ace nodded. A handful of people ran to Ace and started thanking him. He felt awkward.

"Um, you're welcome," he said. Todoroki was behind him, a little bruised, too. All Might moved on to get somebody, Ace wasn't paying attention.

"How did you come up with a plan so fast?" he asked, voice quiet. "And you broke a man's neck without killing him. How did you know how to do all that?"

Ace replied, "I told you all my world isn't an easy place to live in. I told you I'm not hero material." Todoroki frowned and said he felt the opposite. Ace looked away and sat down, accepting a bottle of water given to him, and then looking at the sky. At least he could see a bit of the stars.


	16. Heroes + Ace vs. Villains

**Trying_To_Be_Happy: Meeeeeeeeeeeeepppp**

**Shisukii: Thank you! I'm glad you found it, too lol.**

**An interested reader: Thank you! It does get darker. :(**

**Adamari2001: This chapter is even more intense. I hope people are satisfied with it.**

**Miao: Aw, thank you! Merry late christmas and happy new year.**

**Anime_Moon00: This chapter will definitely be exciting. And the feels crank it up to 1000 in the next one, so look forward to that lol. Bakugo is annoying, especially as he is in the anime as of now. I read the manga but I will spoil nothing of course. And yeah, Ace is a badass leader who knows how to get shit done.**

* * *

**Exciting chapter this time! It was fun to write. And I learned something: I followed the plot line of MHA for multiple crossovers, and had to watch along and write. I totally should have just read the manga, since I'm following the plot of One Piece for Wano arc, and just reading is easier, even if the episodes for these parts haven't come out yet. But don't worry, I won't be posting that one until the episodes pass! After all, I have 9 stories waiting to be published! Anyways, happy new years and enjoy~**

* * *

Ace was sick of being questioned. It happens too much. But, it wasn't just him. Everyone was being asked their story, what happened to them. Bakugo was being searched for still. He was obviously taken by a villain as he vanished, but no one knew where he was. Ace was still furious and wouldn't be part of the rescue team. It was Bakugo's fault he was taken. Ace wouldn't forget or forgive this. He put himself and others in danger.

"I did what I had to do to keep the kids safe. Eraser Head told us we could fight. And I kept the kids from fighting as much as I could. They don't need to be murderers this young," he sighed.

The police chief was there. They had the one that was left over in jail, questioning him about the League of Villains. It was a good gain, and they were all happy Ace had been able to take him alive. There were many pro-heroes. Ace had met multiple of them multiple times. He ran his hands through his hair.

"You killed one of them," the dog officer pointed out.

"Because he was about to impale Todoroki in the neck. If I didn't kill him, even injuring him badly, he could still reach him and have killed him. I prioritized his life more than the villain's," Ace responded in a hard voice. He was asked how he was able to plan that quickly, and then how he knew how to snap the neck without killing him. "I am a commander of my crew at home. I need to be smart and think quickly. It's life or death there. You can't understand it. All Might can back it up, he's been there."

All Might nodded. "There were multiple attacks on Ace-san's ship that they fought off. There are sea monsters as well. He's said it multiple times, but his life there is completely different from life here."

Ace sighed. "Doesn't saving innocent kids outweigh hurting or killing the villains who attempted murder them multiple times? Was I supposed to protect them instead?"

Endeavor was looking at him with a new light, as was everyone else. Like they were just now seeing him as something other than a nuisance or out of place kid. "Thank you for saving Shoto," the number 2 hero said.

Ace nodded. "He fought well and has fast processing speed. And he followed my orders well. He was instrumental to getting everyone I could to safety," he responded honestly. "What is happening about Bakugo?"

Dog officer said, "You were the last to see him. What happened?"

Ace sighed. "He has a horrible time following directions and his pride is as inflated as it could be. He didn't want to follow my directions and ran off while I was taking care of the gas villain. I couldn't find him after that, and instead went to the nearest group, which was Dark Shadow attacking Midoriya and Shouji."

"And you knew where everyone was with your haki?" dog officer asked again. So many names that it was so much easier to keep track of them by their quirks or looks. Besides the easy ones like some of the kids and all of the teachers. And some of the pro-heroes.

Ace nodded. "I found where the most concentrated groups were since those were probably the ones around the villains. One of them got away, I didn't see her quirk, but Tsu and Uraraka might have, they were with her. She had some sort of contraption on her back. I broke it into pieces, but now it's pretty hard to figure out what it was."

Someone was taking notes on everything that was being said. "Tiger said that you asked permission to fight first." Ace nodded, saying he didn't like it but would follow the laws and rules in this world. He didn't want to get in trouble for fighting when he had no permission.

He asked if he would have gotten in trouble for protecting the kids if he had no permission. "In this instance, you would have not gotten in trouble with the law. The rule mostly applies to situations where fighting is not a necessity. Picking a fight is considered unnecessary. Fighting for the sake of someone who is in harm's way is also legal to fight. But, the first thing you should do is try to get the person to safety before fighting. Then you call pro-heroes or the police to report." Ace nodded, understanding all of that reasoning. He said it made sense for this world.

He was happy nobody asked much about his job or life in his world. They were reasonable, and knew that nothing he did there applied here. "Will this be made public?" he asked.

The police chief said that the gist would be revealed to the public, but Ace's name would not be included as he wasn't a pro-hero. He was happy with that. "You say you don't want to be a hero, and that is fine, but we thank you for your selfless help in this situation. You might have saved the lives of many children."

Ace slowly asked, "Why am I allowed to do hero activities if I am not a professional or don't have a provisional license?" He didn't know what the answer was, but was shocked when he'd heard it.

"You've had 13 pro-heroes endorse you as trustworthy, responsible and strong. That is more than enough for now to do simple things like patrolling and helping out at the high school, even if things have gotten lively while you've been here." Ace blinked twice and looked at All Might, who gave him a thumbs up.

Ace smiled and said, "Thank you. That really makes me happy." He was excused and left the meeting with a smile. 13. That meant most of the staff had said so. It made him happy, feel valued. Not just some guy that popped up out of nowhere.

It was afternoon of the day after the attack, and he went to take a nap. There was a knock on the door halfway during his nap, and he could tell it was Mirio. Ace walked to the door and opened it. "Yo. Heard you got into another troublesome situation."

Ace laughed. "That's an understatement. Let's go on a walk. My room is a mess," Ace said, his clothes on the floor and bed unmade. Mirio nodded and the two walked outside and around the wall. "So you looking for the whole story?" Ace asked, hands in his pockets. Mirio nodded, so Ace told him everything in detail, as he had with the pro-heroes.

"Wow. That sounds very stressful," Mirio said. "But you saved so many people! That's amazing, Ace!" Ace smiled and thanked him.

"It was very tiring. I've never had to protect kids before. They've always been adults who weren't so weak. I mean, many of the kids here are strong and all, but the villains were pretty strong too. And I didn't want the children to become murderers at this age," he explained. "God, I can't believe how stupid Bakugo is. I had a plan that protected everyone else, but he ran off when I was busy because he didn't want to follow directions."

Mirio agreed that it was a stupid thing to do at that moment. He should have put his pride away to get to safety. Ace nodded. He was still angry at him. Now everybody was looking for him when they could be doing other important things. At his age, this couldn't be explained as "oh, he's young, he didn't realize the consequences". No, Bakugo was 15 and he was not stupid. An idiot, but not stupid.

Here, he was a dumb shit, prideful idiot causing trouble for everyone. Ace didn't want him dead or hurt, but hopefully scared so this never happens again. But who was he kidding, Bakugo was probably having fun trying to kill the League of Villains. He always said he wanted to kill people, after all.

Killing people, especially the first kill for most people, is awful. It wasn't for Ace. He was disturbed, and didn't believe that human life was worth anything. After all, his life wasn't worth anything, why would any else's be? But, he remembered Sabo's first kill. He was distraught and couldn't sleep well for weeks. That was before meeting Luffy.

Ace killed, but Sabo didn't. He injured them beyond recovery. Ace only stopped killing like it was nothing when he truly became Luffy's brother, and wanted to set a good example for him. Killing good people shouldn't be fun. And Ace didn't take fun in killing indiscriminately. But was Bakugo a good person? Ace wasn't sure. Hadn't known him long enough to judge. All he'd seen of him was his terrible attitude and violence.

They heard shouting from outside the wall. They both walked over and listened. The media. People with the fancy cameras that put the videos on screens. TV screens. That's what they were called. The people outside the gate were all shouting questions, as if somebody was just going to answer all of them.

"Is someone going to answer them?"

Mirio said, "They'll go away eventually if nobody comes to address their questions." Ace nodded, saying it was like the press in his world but only way more intense. Since they didn't have TV's or radios, they got their information from the newspaper. "Birds seriously deliver the newspaper?" Mirio asked in interest and surprise.

Ace nodded. "But you can't trust what they say all of the time. The newspaper goes by the World Government first, and they have a habit of lying about anything that makes themselves or the marines look bad."

Mirio said, "So, lots of misinformation?" Ace nodded. "Wow. What kind of things do they lie about?"

"Well, my brother and his friends broke into a government base where their friend was going to be brought to Impel Down and tortured the rest of her life, and the marines wanted to get rid of them so badly that they called a Buster Call. It's when ten marine ships arrive and shoot at an island until it burns to nothing. They did it while their own people were still there, and then blamed it all on my little brother and his friends.

"They're twisted and sick," Ace explained. Mirio was shocked and horrified. "It's pretty bad, yeah."

Mirio asked hesitantly, "What do you do if you're not a marine? What do other people do?"

Ace said that they either lived on their islands, or they went out to sea. Many times they oppose the world government, keeping them at arm's length so they don't interfere with sailing and adventure. Mirio asked if he was against the government. "Yeah. If they got ahold of me I would be executed, so of course I am against them," he said simply. Mirio looked down, but Ace didn't think it was because Ace went against the government. He was smart, he would know that the situations were completely different.

"That's awful. Being executed." Ace told him dying was better than going to Impel Down. "Wow. I'm glad I don't live in your world. No wonder you're so strong." Ace laughed and said it sure was more exciting there than here. There was almost never a dull moment between marine attacks, fellow adventurers who attack, storms and sea kings.

Ace jokingly said, "It sure keeps us on our toes."

"Sounds like it."

-x-

The day he had 4 days left was the next day. There were news channels and newspapers bashing U.A. for not protecting their students well enough. Ace didn't like it, but said nothing about it. He was to be with Mirio on patrol for the next few days he was still there. Nighteye had praised his efforts to save as many kids as he could.

"It wasn't enough. There were still so many hurt," Ace had replied, looking at the floor. Nighteye pointed out what All Might had, he wasn't a pro-hero so it wasn't his job. He just did it for the kindness in his heart. Ace was tired of hearing it, but he no longer protested. They'd keep pointing it out, why try and get them to stop?

Mirio came out of the changing room dressed, and the two of them started their patrol. Luckily, Ace wasn't in the papers, so was not flocked all over again. "What's it like to be known by the public?"

Ace shrugged. "I'm kind of used to it in a way. But the opposite really," he laughed. "Nobody thanks me, they run away. I always look angry and my fire doesn't help. I'm very well-known in my world."

"You know, I think we've become good friends." Ace said he agreed. "And I'm good at reading people I know and care about." He was speaking slowly and stopped. Ace wondered what he was going to say. Hopefully not tell him he was a hero again. "The way you talk about your other life. Are you a criminal, Ace?" Mirio asked.

Ace's face went white. He didn't know how to answer, Mirio would know if he was lying for sure. But he was so worried that Mirio would tell someone. "I don't think that counts here. You're not a criminal here, seeming the opposite. But what are you in your other life? I won't tell anyone, I swear on my hero future."

The older young man looked away. "Yeah, I'm a pirate. That word isn't in this world. Basically, I fight other pirate crews, fight marines, go on adventures and cause a lot of trouble. My crew doesn't kill for fun. We fight for fun, but we don't kill. We're one big family, one of the most powerful crews out there.

"It's the only dream I'd ever had. To be the freest person alive. And that's how it would happen, by being a pirate. I have a bounty of over 500,000,000 in our currency, so people are constantly after my head."

He sighed. "My family keeps trying to convince me that I'm a good person, who sometimes does bad things. That I could be a help here, since I'm nice and can control myself, my temper and my powers."

Mirio put his hand on Ace's shoulder. "I won't tell a soul." Ace said that All Might knew and had been there with him, and had thought his family were all good people. "Is being a criminal in another life what keeps you from being heroic in this one?"

The guy could read Ace too easily. But he knew he was being honest, that he wouldn't tell anyone. If there was one thing he was absolutely positive about, it was that Mirio was honest. "I think so. It's nice to help people. But I'm afraid I'll change here. I'll go back home to a completely different person. It feels like I'm two people at once. A pirate and nice guy who helps other people.

"I'm still selfish. I won't save people I don't know. But still. I just don't think I'm hero material. It's nice that people here trust me. But I don't feel like I deserve it."

"You're life here is separate from your life there. You've proven that you're a good person while here. Perhaps not a hero, as I know nobody would be able to force you. But a good person. Your family was right. You can be a good person by sometimes doing bad things. I and everyone who knows you knows you're not a villain.

"There's a difference here between a criminal and a villain, and one is much worse than the other. As long as you commit no crimes here, it's nothing to worry about," Mirio assured him with a genuine smile.

Ace thanked him sincerely, and they continued their patrol. Mirio got a phone call though, and answered it. It was All Might. Which was weird, but it could have been routed from Nighteye. "It's for you, Ace," Mirio said in surprise. Ace took the phone and answered it.

" _Ace-san, I would like you to accompany me on a mission. We've found the League of Villains' hideout. We need you in case there are any nomus there. And if there aren't, we need your help for other things. Can you do it?"_ All Might asked seriously. Ace was shocked. He was being asked to go on a mission with pro-heroes? Not just help out as a part-time intern or camp supervisor?

"Y-Yeah. I'm at- where are we Mirio? - at Hover's street outside of a building with an M- a McDonalds. I can get to Nighteye's if I run."

" _No, I'll be there soon. Stay where you are,_ " All Might said and hung up. He handed the phone back to Mirio, looking shocked still. He asked what had happened and if everything was okay.

Ace nodded and answered, "They found the hideout for the League of Villains. They want my help. To deal with the nomu since I'm the only one that can. I can't believe this. I don't even have a hero license."

Mirio gave him a smile. "You were endorsed by many heroes, right? Then that's all you need, at least in their eyes. Good luck, I know you can do it and not die." Ace laughed.

"Well that's encouraging. 'Don't die'. I won't. I'll be really careful. It's lucky I'm a good fighter and a leader. I can switch into super responsible mode immediately," Ace bragged. Mirio said he was lucky that he had all the parts to be able to take care of himself in a foreign world. And to stay calm about the huge changes he saw. Ace thanked him.

All Might wasn't lying when he said he would get there quickly. Mirio wished them both good luck, and Ace was told to climb onto All Might's back. They jumped from roof to roof. "Ace-san, I need to tell you something. I am losing my powers, and I may lose them tonight if I fight too hard. Do not be shocked if my appearance changes."

Ace said, "I already knew that your powers were leaving. I can tell whenever I come back. I won't be surprised, promise."

"Thank you for taking up this responsibility."

They arrived at a police building, and Ace soon stood at the end of the row of pro-heroes, feeling awkward, but portraying his determined and serious side. Nobody rejected him being there, not even Endeavor. Maybe saving his kid changed things for him about Ace.

"We've gathered some of our finest heroes here today. Now, let's begin our strategy meeting," the police guy said. Another one he couldn't remember the name of no matter how many times he'd been in the same room with him. They sat down, Ace sitting between All Might and Tiger, two people he both knew beforehand other than in meetings and interrogations.

He barely spoke until the end. "Firefist, can you scout how many people are inside before we enter?" Ace nodded. "And if there are nomu, take them out immediately. They are the most dangerous and you seem to be the only one that can dispose of them quickly." He looked down at his notes. "You've also shown the ability to make a fire wall multiple times. Can you create one around the entire building so nobody can get in and nobody can get out?" Ace nodded. "Then create a fire wall the moment we are discovered."

"I can do it from the inside, so that won't be a problem. And the outside of the firewall won't be hot so it won't burn any nearby buildings." He said only what he was asked.

"Alright, thank you. Your presence will be helpful," he said. Ace wasn't scared, he could pull off those tasks easily. He would wait outside while counting and then they would head inside, Ace in the middle, depending on how many were inside and where they were. Ace would guide them through the building with haki.

Endeavor was supposed to look after U.A., which he was pissy about but didn't protest much. The policeman turned to the heroes and Ace, who was standing in the back of the group and said, "It is possible that this incident will become the impetus for the destruction of the hero society. We must give it our all to make sure we resolve this successfully."

Best Jeanist said he'd had Bakugo as an intern at his agency to fix his behavior. Like that would ever happen. He said Bakugo was no doubt fighting due to his pride and attitude. And Tiger said Ragdoll, one of his group members, had also been taken and that this was personal for him.

Momo had made a tracking device but apparently it could lead to multiple hideouts. But they knew where Bakugo was. The bulk of them would be going there to get him back as the first priority. Ace would be with that group. The others would be going after the hideouts that didn't have Bakugo. That little shit better thank them for this.

He heard Gran Torino, an old hero that apparently knew All Might well, and All Might talking about the presence of someone specific that might be there. He didn't hear specifics, but knew there was a strong guy they'd be dealing with. Ace would be able to see just how strong.

They talked about their plans a bit before Ace, All Might and Endeavor ran to the building they were going for, with armed police men with protective gear. More heroes followed from behind them.

Ace closed his eyes once they were outside the target building. "One child, seven adults. One feels different, is the one who can warp. Shigaraki is in there, and the villains we weren't able to catch are in there, too, all in one room it seems."

"Alright, let's go!" All Might said, and Ace jumped to the roof, and once everyone was inside, All Might went to the wall that was shared with the room the villains were in. Ace made sure everybody was inside before he raised his hands and created a wall of fire that wrapped around the building.

Ace broke off a window in the second story and dropped down, looking for the stairs before he came to the main room. The wood guy had trapped all of them in his wood, the warp guy trapped as well.

Ace made a fire around the inside walls so they couldn't break out. It licked the wood guy but didn't light him on fire. Ace stood behind. "Oh, look! It's the cutie who broke my weapon!" the high school creep said. She honestly was the picture of insane.

The moment the blue fire user, which he noticed back at the camp was not as hot as actual blue flames, they just were colored that way, let out flames, Ace sucked them out right in time for Gran Torino to kick him in the face, knocking him out. Ace surrounded the fire guy in his own flames to make sure he didn't get out.

Paper-thing man showed up from another door, and Ace wasn't really paying attention to everybody's dialogue. "Where is young Bakugo?!" All Might demanded.

"All Might, he's in that guy's pocket!" Ace said, pointing to the man with a mask. Not Hand-Guy. "He's small, tiny, but that's Bakugo!" The villains glared at him in hate, letting off angry auras. So Ace let out his own, and the high school girl whimpered. The others weren't much affected. He had been told not to use haki to knock them out or it would affect everyone in the room.

And if any nomus showed up, he needed to be able to utilize it in full force. But he felt no nomu here. At least not yet. They had a warp man, he could get out and release nomus like he had at USJ. "Firefist, up the stairs!" Paper-thing guy said, and Ace rushed past the police and stayed on the second story.

He felt Bakugo's presence come back to normal, so he was free. He couldn't see what was happening, though. He went back down and heard Hand-Guy shout at warp-guy to bring nomus. "There aren't any nomus coming!" Ace called. "If there are I'll take care of it!"

That made a few rest easier, especially those who weren't heroes. He reached out his observation haki so far that it was able to find one of the closer hide outs. It wasn't too far away, so Ace's haki reached alright. A little dim, since it was near the edge of his field, but he was still aware of that area. That one was full of nomus, but they were all stuck in one place, and he felt the heroes who were there. They'd taken care of them. That was great! Ace didn't need to do that!

As Ace watched the pro-heroes work, he thought of how watching his own people fight was more enjoyable. They laughed and joked as they beat the shit out of others. But this was pretty interesting, even though he was also focusing his haki on the surroundings, counting continuously how many people were supposed to be there at this time.

No new comers, and nobody had left. Everything was going as planned, but he didn't get his hopes up that nobody would get hurt. And there was the guy All Might and Gran Torino had been worried about. Plus the possibility that the number one hero would lose his powers at the worst moment.

Then nomus appeared. Ace leapt in the room. He did his duty and told them to rip their own brains out again. The fastest way for them to do so. "No! Kill him!" Hand-Guy shouted, and Ace hid the smirk and backed in between the pro-heroes as the nomus screeched as they killed themselves, splattering blood all over Hand-Guy and the counter. More came but none of them moved.

Like the two he dealt with with Mirio, they cowered from him, shrinking into themselves. "No, nomus, attack them!" Shigaraki called. The nomus looked pitiful.

"Nomus, rip out your brains," he said calmly. Soon the floor was covered with them, so Ace let out a burst of flames that burned to ash in a matter of seconds. Now there was more room to fight and nobody was hurt by the flames.

While they were distracted, Bakugo suddenly started vomiting black substance, the same that the nomus had come out from. And then he was gone. His presence was nowhere near. All Might screamed, "NOOO!"

Ace said, "There's still time, stay calm!"

The wood man told Ace there were nomus outside everywhere, and Ace jumped out the hole in the wall and ran into the middle. Again, at their sight of him, they cowered and a few started to run. He let out another burst of haki, glad he'd gotten a good night's sleep that night and had plenty of lunch. "Nomus, rip out your brains!"

And like inside, he burnt all of them to ash. Where would they appear next? Where were they coming from? The fire around the building was still going, but Ace suddenly froze. He was feeling fear. There was a terrible, terrible presence at the other hide out that the nomus were confined to. He'd never felt such evil before, and shivered.

But he didn't let it consume him. He had a job, and he had to warn All Might. Maybe this guy was the one All Might was worried about. He flew to the opening with his fire. "All Might! Really, _really_ bad guy at the other hideout!" All Might glared and shared a look with Gran Torino.

"Ace, let down the fire shield. You need all of your energy now," All Might said.

"But what about-!"

"He doesn't need to walk through doors!" All Might said.

"Okay!" Ace said, and let down his fire wall, giving him a bit of strength left. But, he felt the presences disappearing and jumped Shigaraki, covered in haki, stopping the warp. It burnt him, but his body was covered in haki. "You're not going anywhere!" Ace said darkly. Hand-Guy struggled before Ace was covered in it, too. All Might's big hand grabbed Ace and pulled him away just as Shigaraki disappeared.

Ace punched the wooden bar down with a fist. "God damn it! Now what?!" The nomus that had appeared again were now cowering as well. He commanded their deaths like usual, and then turned back to All Might. "What can I do?" he asked.

"Where is the presence? Where is he?" All Might asked.

"Still at the hideout. Everyone else isn't moving anymore, but none have disappeared, none are dead! I'm keeping count!" Then he froze… "Oh no."

"What?! What did he do?!" Ace looked horrified.

"There are students there. Five of them. They're right next to the building! And all of the villains are there, with Bakugo, too!" Ace shouted. All Might grabbed Ace around the middle and shot out of the building. He was going so fast the wind was whipping around his face and he had his eyes closed.

When he was close to the building, but not in sight yet, All Might apologized and chucked Ace hard onto the neighboring street. He landed in a mess of fire, but it wasn't painful, thank god he was a logia. The horrible presence was so close, but the kids were closer. He could get to them. He ran to the alleyway.

He saw them all struggling under the fear. He changed his body into fire so he fit just fine in the alleyway. He gripped Freckles' hand. He couldn't afford to get angry right now, he had to get them to safety. "Come, I'm getting you out of here. You're fine, c'mon. The building is crumbling and you can be crushed. _Don't_ use your powers," he whispered.

Freckles' resisted. "We have to save Kacchan," he whispered.

"Do you think you can get him out without anyone seeing? All Might just got thrown away and crashed into multiple buildings. You can get away while he's distracted," Ace insisted. He couldn't knock them out with haki or they'd be found immediately.

But then they all heard the terrible voice tell Shigaraki to leave and take Bakugo with him. They needed to stop that from happening. "If All Might is having trouble and the other pro-heroes are out, we're all that's left. Us and you." Then they all heard the fighting start. They were trying to catch Bakugo and leave with him.

Ace may dislike him, but he'd do what he could to save the brat. "We're not going anywhere," Todoroki said. They were all trembling. "We can't use our powers but we're not giving up" Ace hissed out a swear before he asked if they had a plan. They were surprised by this. "I won't let you get hurt, I promise," Ace swore.

Their plan was reckless, but he could be useful for it. "Okay, I'll tell you when he's far enough from the enemies. You're going to have to be successful or it's over. You won't get burned by my flames, but it will be hard to see through them. I'll know the moment you blast off. I'm gonna get in so much trouble." Then he smiled a reassuring smile. "You better not get me in fucking trouble."

He turned away from them, Iida and Freckles holding onto Kirishima. He closed his eyes and waited. The evil guy (he was pure evil) was distracted with All Might. The right moment came and Ace jumped up, letting out a blast of the hottest fire he could, white flames. While they were all freaking out from the sudden flames, which was burning them based on their screams. Iida and Freckles blasted off. The fire was like a thick smoke screen. Bakugo was at the very edge of it, and shouted in shock before he saw the three above him.

Ace hadn't noticed, but apparently Bakugo actually had a friend, Kirishima, who reached out his hand. "Come!" he shouted, and Bakugo grinned, blasting off with a huge explosion that added debris and smoke into the mix of flame, and they were gone. Safe, not having used their powers to fight at all.

His flames dissipated, and he stood there in front of the villains, covered in white flames over the armament haki coating his whole body. His shorts were in tatters and his hat had been forgotten at the other hideout. He'd get it later, he promised.

"You! He's always the one that foils the plan!" Shigaraki shouted in rage. Ace couldn't help the grin, he just couldn't help it.

When three of them were getting ready to go after the kids, Ace shot forward and punched each one of them in the gut, kicked their crotches, chopped the back of their necks and slammed a booted foot into their ankles. The kids were gone and he'd keep his promise. All three of them were down, unconscious from the chop and unable to run from their ankles.

With the one who could shrink people, Ace slammed his hand down so hard on the guy's wrists that the bones shattered. The pain woke him up but Ace got him in the face again before dodging perfectly when crazy high school girl attacked him with a knife. She was no longer laughing.

Ace kicked her side in, grabbing and breaking the knife with his hand, surprising her. He slammed his fist into the front of her throat, making her scream and cough blood. He grabbed the scruff of her shirt and slammed her into the stone roof. He whipped around, ready to fight again.

All For One, the evil villain, was about to launch an attack when All Might was seconds away, but Ace easily evaded the extended fingers. Shigaraki was too angry to do anything, leaving his own men to cower.

He heard screams from below, and the moaning sound of nomus. "NOMUS!" He roared, releasing a burst of haki that just barely reached them. "KILL YOUR OWN PEOPLE!" And the nomus became another problem for the remaining villains. Four left, he'd taken out three and three of their previous ones had been arrested or killed. And they were all burned. It was probably only adrenaline that was keeping them conscious. Unless they had a healer, those burns would last a long time if not the rest of their lives.

It was hard to fight both Ace and the nomus, who didn't hurt Ace at all. The blue fire guy's flames didn't hurt Ace and the nomus didn't respond to his flames as well. They were the perfect army. All Might was just barely keeping All For One at bay, distracted enough that he didn't target Ace. Finally, his strength was depleted, and he had no other way to help. "All Might! I'm sorry!"

"You've done enough, Firefist!" he called. Ace looked so regretful. He ordered the nomus to fight to the death and after it was over to kill themselves. Then Gran Torino showed up. He saw all of the damage Ace had done.

"Protect him!" Ace shouted before he jumped off of the roof and turned into fire and sped down the street, following where the kids had gone. They'd flown very far away, out of sight from where the final battle was. He found them and the very last moment his haki was still reaching out, he felt Shigaraki and all of his beaten villains disappear into the warp.

Ace walked right up to them, struggling to walk. "Everyone okay?" he asked, sitting down. He was on the verge of passing out.

"Thanks to you," Iida said. Ace laughed tiredly, and said they were welcome, but were going to get in so much trouble later.

Ace stood and took a few shaky breaths. "Let's go. I promised I'd keep you safe, it's not over yet. But I don't know the city well enough. Call the others. I didn't sense them in the area anymore," Ace said. Freckles' nodded and called Todoroki and Momo. When Ace stumbled, Iida supported him on one side. "Sorry, I'm gonna pass out soon. Get us somewhere safe and then I'm out."

Kirishima asked what had happened after they fled. "I fought them off. I got four of them that tried and go after you. Then the nomus attacked the others. I couldn't help him anymore," Ace said, sounding ashamed.

"You saved us, and then kept them from coming after us. The nomus also started acting weird and killing themselves before you found us. All Might wouldn't want you to die helping him," Freckles said, telling him that the remaining two had gone into the public to hide. Ace was in no condition to hide in plain sight.

Bakugo was looking at him angrily. "You still angry about me giving you orders?" Ace asked, voice flat and tired. Iida was tall enough to be a good crutch. Bakugo looked down, looking ashamed. Ace knew his pride was too much for him to thank Ace. "You're welcome," Ace said simply. Then he passed out, falling forward though Iida was able to catch him. He was covered in dirt, his shorts a mess, his hair a mess. He just looked so exhausted. His skin was also looking pink. He was clearly not fighting anymore that night.

He woke up in an ambulance, laying on a gurney. He had to admit that using cars to get people help was much more productive than taking an ill person on foot to a hospital. He saw Iida and Todoroki inside. "He blinked a few times and tried to sit up. Iida pushed him down. He was so tired and spent that he was solid, completely vulnerable.

"The doctors and Aizawa-sensei told us to make sure you rest. They said you're so exhausted you might make yourself ill if you don't rest." Ace asked if they called Eraser Head, and they nodded. "The others are in police cruisers heading back to the school, where would be the safest right now."

Ace asked, "What about All Might?" Iida looked away. Todoroki was the one to answer.

He said, "All Might won, but lost his power. He's really injured, but he's alive." Ace sighed. "You can rest easy now." Ace was out like a light again.

When he woke up again, it was the school infirmary. He saw All Might in a bed next to his. It hadn't been long since he passed out, he was still here. He wanted to go home to heal. To relax, the fight was very taxing. Using his conqueror's haki more than once was bad enough, but he had to use large amounts of fire, physical exertion, keeping his other haki up enough to manage. His whole body was a bit pink from how long he had it covered completely in armament haki.

All Might was awake and looked over. Ace saw his hat had been recovered and he took it off the nightstand and held it to his chest. Luffy would have thought he was awesome. "How are you feeling, Ace?" Ace could feel his powers were almost completely gone. And he no longer looked how he did before. He looked fragile and sick.

"Still tired," Ace replied.

"You did a valliant job. You saved us so many times by taking care of the overwhelming nomus, you used your haki too much, it seems. Then you protected the students. All under All For One's terrifying presence. You did more than enough."

Ace sighed. "Using conqueror's haki at least 4 times is too much. I'm surprised I lasted long enough to get away safely. I'm sorry I left, I knew I couldn't fight anymore. I didn't want to be a burden," he said, sounding ashamed.

All Might looked so different. The smile was gone, but he was still kind and had the same voice and feeling, only he was weaker now. "The hero community has been wishing to talk to you all day. They want to make you a real hero. I turned them down for you, don't worry. Young Mirio came to visit, very worried."

Ace looked down at his hat. "I did my best. I just hope it was enough. I injured some of the villains, but if they have someone like Recovery Girl-"

"Ace-san. Don't think about it anymore. Get your rest. You don't want to worry your family when you return." Ace nodded, hugging the hat closer. He was so glad someone had gone to get it. And it wasn't damaged at all. That made him so relieved. "I think I may have died if your brother hadn't healed me. I'm alive because of that, no matter how beaten and bruised I am." Ace smiled, saying Marco would be pleased.

His stomach roared, and Freckles came in right on time with a trolley filled with all sorts of food. "Oh, you're awake!" he said with a grin.

Ace replied, "You guys better be in a shit ton of trouble." Freckles assured him that they were so deep in trouble that he didn't even want to talk about it. He bowed and thanked Ace for helping them. He said he wasn't in trouble. Ace would have been mad if he got reprimanded or demoted or something because he couldn't force them to leave.

Ace sat up, the bed letting him sit upright more. He ate all of the food with his sore hands and arms. "What happened to All For One?" Ace asked between bites. He was glad when he was told he was now in prison. "Freckles is the next one, right? Since you lost your powers."

Both of them froze. All Might asked how he knew, but didn't sound worried that Ace would tell anybody. More like curious while Freckles was clearly internally panicking. "You're guys' powers are too similar. I didn't say this before, but every time your power decreased, his increased. It was too much to be a coincidence. And you clearly play favorites with him even if you try to make it look like you don't," Ace explained. "Plus, maybe Freckles shouldn't have his attacks be the same name as yours."

He then asked what day it was, just to make sure. "Day fifteen," All Might said. Ace sighed happily. He got to see his family again.

"When I disappear, I'll come back healed. You don't need to worry." He sighed, and as if he controlled it himself, he was instantly on another bed.

* * *

**Ace didn't end up fighting All For One directly, because I feel he would definitely lose against someone just that strong and unpredictable. But he was super helpful and awesome, so I hope this was satisfying! See you next week or tomorrow depending on if you read my other stories. Happy new years!**


	17. Fragile State

**An interested reader: Thank you!**

#### Kucinggarong: Thank you! I don't remember how I thought of it. I was just watching MHA and thought about doing a crossover. This was my first one. I used to hate crossovers. I dislike reading them, but they're fun to write. I have multiple ones waiting that are all so different. So, I don't remember how this came up, but I'm glad it did because it was fun to write and people like it! And swear all you want lol.

#### Lucynda_Raciak: Your question shall be answered in this chapter! And don't worry, I don't need more inspiration for this one, it's already finished and edited!

#### Trying_To_Be_Happy: Ace is only stuck between these two worlds (roll credits). If he went to all other worlds, I am confident he'd go insane lol. 

#### Adamari2001: I made him not fight AFO because the guy is much more experienced than he is. Ace wouldn't know how to fight him. I think he could hold his own for a small bit with the element of surprise, but would ultimately lose or be terribly wounded. But I'm glad you liked the fight! I feel I'm not very good at them most times. 

#### ssatturn: Lol, thanks!

#### Carimes_treehouse: I'm so glad you liked the fight! It makes me feel happy I made a good fight scene. ...Though, it was probably only so detailed because it followed the plot. :( Man, I wish I hadn't thought about that lol. 

* * *

**Very long chapter this time. It's very sad for part of it, so beware. And something everyone has been waiting for happens in this one, too! Features alcoholism and and other possibly upsetting things. So, beware the feels. Enjoy~**

* * *

His brothers didn't know how injured he was. They'd be worried, but he was still visibly exhausted and pink. And he was in hospital pants. Very clearly not alright.

He left his room and headed straight to the infirmary, where he stumbled against the walls until Vista appeared, and shouted his name, catching him before he fell. "Infirmary. Take me to the infirmary," Ace said in an exhausted voice. Vista picked him up and hurried to the infirmary where he was laid down. Vista looked at him and saw the state he was in.

Even if it looked like he had no external injuries, he still wasn't fine. Whiskey hurried out and gasped at Ace. "What happened?!"

Ace said, "Big battle. I'm all red because I was covered in haki for at least an hour. I'll tell everyone after I'm better. It's a long story." It didn't take long for the room to be full of his brothers and father, all looking worried at his condition. Marco couldn't stand it and healed him with one of the blood bags he kept in the freezer. There were many of them now.

He felt much better only an hour later, and sat up. "Son, what happened to you?" Ace sighed.

"A lot. A lot of stuff happened. Too much for just two weeks," he said. He told them everything, from the summer camp disaster to the battle with all of the pro-heroes and All Might. They all sat like they were watching a movie, those moving pictures that were clearer than den den projectors. But, he still wasn't upset with coming home to less advanced technology. It was what he was used to, and he didn't like all of the lights of the city that drowned out the stars.

Once he was finished, they were speechless. Ace wondered what they were thinking until Thatch shouted, "You're so cool! Damn, I wish I had been there for the fight!" Ace chuckled, and agreed. They would have all competed for who could take out the most enemies.

Whitebeard asked how he was feeling about everything that had happened. "Tired. But at least things aren't boring there. It was all a good distraction. And I handled being there well this time. I… I was not well when I left. I had an episode about it."

The captain frowned. "Because of the sentence you left during?" Ace nodded. It was bad timing, really bad timing. "I'll say it again. We all love you." Ace started crying, hiding his face in his hands. Marco and Thatch walked over and sat beside him rubbing his shoulder or arm. It didn't hurt to touch. The skin just hurt.

"It's hard. I… it is okay when I'm there eventually after appearing, and I'm happy there seems to be a pattern now for when I jump from one place to the other, but I miss everyone. I won't stop missing you. And I've only been gone an hour again. Time moves so slow for me. Two weeks for me is one hour for everybody else. And we haven't gotten any closer to the island since I was last here," Ace grumbled.

Haruta looked down and said, "I know it's selfish, but I'm glad it's only an hour for us. I can't imagine having you gone for so long, not knowing if you're okay or not. All alone in a different world. It's not like it is when you go on missions, y'know?" Ace nodded in understanding.

He looked down as well. "I don't want to admit this, I know it's messed up, but I wish you guys missed me as much as I miss you. I don't want you to be in pain, but we've always dealt with things together. And knowing you guys sometimes don't even know you _should_ miss me… it's unfair. I know, the world isn't fair. I just don't want to be the only one feeling this way," he confessed, hands gripping the sheets under him tightly.

Pops spoke. "We understand your feelings, son. And we wish we could share your suffering. It's not right that your family can't help you half the time." Ace looked up, and said it wasn't their fault.

Thatch spat, "I should have made you stop. I shoulda' been more insistent, and I wasn't." Ace frowned deeper, and said he didn't blame Thatch. Neither of them knew this would happen. "Still, I feel responsible!"

"Well, you aren't," Ace said sharply. The others nodded in agreement. "It was my fault for being careless. I wouldn't have known what was in the cave or what would happen but still, I should have listened to everybody else."

Jozu said, "There's nothing we can do to change the past. We can just make the present as good as possible." The others agreed. "How about we have a party? Still a few days till the next island."

Marco had fixed him up perfectly, way better than Recovery Girl could. The party was that night. "Hey Marco. I helped All Might out a lot during the fight, but you were the one to make him the winner," Ace said when he was a bit tipsy. "I haven't had a drink for two weeks!"

"Ooh, does this make Marco a hero? He saved one, right?" Thatch asked, just as drunk. But the night was only just getting started. They drank like there was no tomorrow, and Ace drank as if he hadn't in two weeks. Which was true. He got shit faced more than anytime before, and spent the next morning with his head in the toilet.

It was worth it.

The island came quickly. Too quickly. Ace wished time would slow down. He wanted to reach the island that started this quickly, but his two weeks felt like they were going by in a flash. He was conflicted. _Time, slow down_ or _hurry, get to the island!_

His mind argued with itself a lot, and Ace started to grow concerned when he was having graphic nightmares about being ripped away from his life for good. Some were that he came back and found out that a hundred years had passed while he was gone. Where everybody would be dead when he got back. Or that Pops would pass and he didn't know. He was terrified of it, of the dreams that stuck with him all day and into the next night.

He didn't sleep anymore, trying to keep himself awake as long as possible. And then he started to regularly drink during the day. Downing multiple bottles of sake a day. His family worried about him, that he'd become an alcoholic from the stress of it all. Ace got angry whenever someone tried to take his booze away.

They were so concerned as Ace attempted to drown his problems in a steady stream of different types of alcohol. Sure, pirates drank a lot, but Ace didn't usually. When he was told that the alcohol was interfering with his commander duties, Ace had an episode.

"You don't need me anyways! You're fine without me! Everyone is fine when I'm gone! I'm all alone and you all are still together! You don't even know I'm gone, so what's to miss?!" he screamed. He had tears down his face, slurring his speech from being so drunk.

It was after that that Marco made the executive decision. They dumped every single ounce of alcohol into the sea while Ace was asleep. He slept a lot too, even though that was what he wanted the least. He was very upset when he learned that they'd all taken his booze away. Said it was the only way he forgot about problems.

His family had let him down by allowing him to go this far. To drink this much. Nobody was mad at him about losing the sake, they cared more about his mental health than their own love for alcohol. Ace drank so much he didn't have to deal with hangovers, so when he finally had no more drinks, he was incredibly sick and in withdrawals.

Nobody blamed him. Nobody hated him. He had a mental collapse and felt none of them could help him, so he turned to other sources of "help". There was no way to stop it for another three weeks.

Ace was so afraid to sleep at night that Marco started sleeping with him. Giving him sleep pills before bed, and staying awake all night, keeping his flames open to help Ace feel better. He didn't bat an eye with cuddling Ace to keep the peaceful flames on. It was necessary, and they'd do anything to help him.

While he was trying to go back to normal, he couldn't really control his emotions well, and cried a lot. It was hard for everyone, and Ace didn't notice their concern. He didn't notice their worry about what would happen when he went back. And when Thatch said that, Ace had started crying again.

"I don' wanna go back!" he sobbed. It broke their hearts. They were all seriously considering sending someone else with him this time. And when Ace was sleep deprived, he said it would be easier for everyone if he was just gone for forever. Then he wouldn't need to cause problems for them.

"Ace, we love you. We'd do anything for you. And we will wait for you to return no matter how long it may take," Thatch said strongly. "We don't want you gone for good!" he insisted.

"Liar. Everyone's a liar! I'm not a good person, I don't want to be that person! I want to be me! _Me_ , not some stupid hero! That's not me! I wanna party, I wanna drink with my brothers, I want to be loud and obnoxious! I want to be me and I _can't!"_ he shouted.

Finally, the crew came to a decision. Marco would be going with him. If things persisted, then they'd be gone for an hour. Ace hadn't protested like he did before. He knew deep down that he needed somebody with him, at least this time. He needed help from someone who could actually give it to him.

Mirio was awesome, but he didn't know the real Ace. He knew his world's Ace. So, on the fifteenth day, Marco was attached to Ace all day, carrying a medical backpack that had anything Ace needed to be better, including sedatives, antidepressants, and something for intense bouts of anxiety.

When they finally disappeared, Ace landed on the ground with Marco landing on top of him. Ace looked around and then hugged Marco tightly. Marco pat his back. "I'm here for you. Why don't you show me where you sleep? And we can find All Might and let him know I'm here this time." Ace nodded, and he and Marco walked to the main building, heading for All Might's presence. It seemed to be the same day, and there were no students around. Luckily. They found All Might still in the infirmary. Ace entered and Recovery Girl asked who Marco was. "My brother. Can you leave us alone with All Might?"

She nodded, and All Might looked up. "Marco. What are you doing here?" Ace's face turned red and he looked down when Marco replied.

"The two weeks weren't good back home. He needs someone to be with him, so I came for him. I'm sorry if it causes problems, but I'm not leaving him," Marco said simply.

Ace spoke. "I'm sorry. I… need a break. I just need a break. I don't want to be around the students or heroes or anything for a bit. I need to get better with Marco," Ace said in shame. All Might was sad for him. He was still injured but gave him a smile. Not those crazy grins he used to have, but one that was more sincere. His smiles had been sincere before, but he had always been smiling. It wasn't much of a change.

He asked if he could know what had happened. "Bad nightmares… and drinking a lot. They had to dump all of it off the ship. I had a lot of problems then, so I need to reset with Marco here. Don't tell anyone about the drinking. I don't want people thinking I'm an alcoholic. It was only for a week. And I acknowledge that I wasn't well, and I won't be touching alcohol for awhile. I promise," he said firmly.

All Might said he understood, and said that he would call the principal over to know what was happening and who Marco was. The phoenix bowed to him in thanks. "I'm happy to see your wound is still healed. Have there been any complications?" All Might shook his head, and said that Marco's treatment had saved his life.

Nezu entered and looked surprised to see Marco. He looked at him with a respectful nod. "Who might you be?" he asked, sounding perfectly pleasant.

"I'm Marco, Ace's brother. For this time, I will be staying with him. And he needs some time to himself." Ace was humiliated, but didn't want to speak for himself. All Might added that Marco was the one to heal his fatal wound.

Nezu said, "Then you're welcome to stay with Ace. Everybody needs support through hard times. I will tell Nighteye you are ill and cannot come over." Ace thanked him and apologized for the inconvenience. "Ace, your role in the fight against the League of Villains was instrumental to a win. I'm sure everybody will understand that you need recuperation after that. You did more than expected. Two times in two weeks you were put into a position you didn't need to be in.

"Two weeks of being absent will be fine, I assure you," Nezu said strongly. Ace smiled and thanked him. Marco bowed as well, thanking him for understanding.

"Should I stay in the building Ace stays in for this time? So nobody knows of my presence?" Marco questioned.

Nezu said that he just needed to stay away from the students. But since he was trusted by Ace and had healed All Might, that he was free to roam the grounds where students weren't around. "I assure you I won't be separated from Ace. I'll go where he goes," Marco replied with a smile. Nezu gave a pleasant smile back, and welcomed Marco for his two week stay.

Ace and him walked to Ace's dorm area. Marco didn't look especially interested in anything, keeping all of his attention on Ace, arm around his shoulders. Ace said nothing, so embarrassed and guilty, putting everyone through trouble just because he had a mental collapse and turned into a temporary alcoholic.

When they got into Ace's room, he opened it and showed it to Marco. "This is where I sleep," he said in a flat voice. Marco commented that it sure wasn't a commanders' bedroom. "Yeah. I got used to it eventually. The bed isn't very nice and there's no attached bathroom."

Marco said it was fine since nobody else lived in this area. Ace sighed. "I put everybody through so much trouble." Marco sat next to him, putting the medical bag that also had changes of clothes on the floor.

"You're not causing anyone trouble. You deserve a break from being a voluntary hero. Ace, you may be strong, but you're human. You're a human who needs and deserves support and love. And I'll be the one to give it to you now." Ace nodded, and wiped his eyes. "There's nothing wrong with crying when I'm around. You know that."

Ace nodded. "I know, but it doesn't mean I want to." Marco sat on the bed next to Ace and pulled the younger's head to rest on his shoulder. "I shoulda' come on my own. I don't want to get in trouble here."

Marco put his hand on Ace's head, rubbing circles against his scalp. "You weren't okay, Ace. Nobody was going to let you come here alone how you were. Now, there's no way for me to get back on my own right now, so there's no use saying I shouldn't be here. I am, there's not anything either of us can do."

Ace took a nap for a couple hours while Marco read some of the magazines and reading materials strewn about the room. When he started to breathe quickly, Marco ran flames against his cheek, his face reacting and the nightmare at bay. Ace reached up and he held Marco's hand.

When the younger did wake up, it was to a roaring stomach. Ace said he'd get them both food. "Is there anyone else here today?"

"Just some teachers probably. Nobody really goes in this part of the building or the cafeteria when there aren't students. Do you want to go out?" Marco said he'd like to stretch his legs. The hero kids were all gone with internships, so they could roam the campus where the hero courses usually took place. The only ones who were still there were the ones who were in trouble.

Ace led him through the more empty part of the building to the cafeteria. "There's food behind there," Ace said, and led Marco to the area behind the counter and shutters, reheating some food in his hand. He didn't use the microwave, not knowing how it worked very well. Plus, he did everything he could to not use the tech here. No matter how small it may be.

He and Marco ate at a table. "This isn't a very cozy place, you weren't kidding," Marco said lightly. Ace chuckled and agreed. It definitely wasn't home. After they were done with their disappointing food, Ace showed him around campus. There was a lot to introduce, so that kept him busy and distracted.

Ace's voice was monotone as he showed Marco around. When Ace just drooped, stopping talking and walking, he asked his younger brother if he wanted to go on a fly. "After all, there's nobody here, right? Who would see us?"

It sounded nice to Ace, so he agreed. He climbed onto Marco's back when he turned into full bird form, flying around the campus, seeing everything from an aerial view. One their second time around, Ace felt and saw Mirio standing at the gate, which was closed, before he walked right through it.

Marco noticed where he was looking, and asked, "Is that Mirio?" Ace nodded. "I want to meet your friend," the phoenix said before he landed in front of the teen, who looked shocked before Marco turned back into human form. "You're Mirio, right?"

The high school student nodded, looking confused to Ace. He didn't make eye contact.

"My name is Marco. I'm one of Ace's brothers," Marco said, and put his hand out for Mirio to shake. "It's nice to meet someone Ace likes from here." Mirio smiled and said he enjoyed Ace's company and he didn't need to act so formally.

He had an easy going smile and said, "Ace talks about you a lot. And you're the one who healed All Might, right? Nobody knew about his injury before but now everybody seems to know." Marco smiled at him, and Ace could see he approved. "So what brings you here this time?" After all, Ace had told him he wouldn't bring any of his family here, not wanting to risk getting in trouble for it.

Marco replied, "The past two weeks were a bit difficult, so we all decided someone should come this time to keep him company." Ace's face was red.

"Oh! I understand. Well, I'm here if you wanna hang out. I know I don't seem the most emotionally deep guy, but still. We're friends so I'm here for you," Mirio said earnestly. Ace sensed no pity from him in his voice or demeanor. He was just stating a fact, friends help their friends. "When Nighteye was called about you taking a break, I was worried. But you have your brother with you, so that's great. You're a commander, too, right?"

Ace looked to Marco and said, "He pretty much figured it out on his own." Mirio had been the one to bring up Ace being a criminal in the other world. Ace felt sad, though. He made a great friend, and he'd be saying goodbye for good soon. Well, what he hoped was for good.

"Yeah, and the first mate of the ship, second in command. I have to deal with all of these idiots and their pranks. Ace included. He likes to prank, too," Marco explained. Ace chuckled and looked away, smiling for the first time since arriving.

Mirio said he had heard about that. "He said that he came here covered in paint once. I thought it was pretty funny," he said lightheartedly. His company made Ace feel good. Marco and Mirio both being there was nice, a support from both worlds.

Ace said, "It wasn't funny. I was only lucky that no one was around besides some of the teachers!" Marco said it wasn't his fault, and Ace huffed. "Mirio, will you show Marco your power?"

"Sure!" Mirio said, and went to the wall, putting his hand through it and disappearing completely before walking back out. Marco was impressed. Ace had been, too. His brother said that it looked like a handy quirk for stealth missions. "Yeah, that's what it's best for. And surprising people. Just sticking your face out of the wall and scaring people is fun sometimes. As long as it's not in a place that they could fall and get hurt. Or an old person who could have a heart attack."

Marco scoffed. "Ace, why can't you be this responsible? He doesn't take other people's health into account when he played pranks," Marco said, though it was lighthearted. Ace was happy. He had known Marco would get along with Mirio if they ever met, he just didn't know it would go this well.

Ace said, "Are you concerned for yourself? You're one of the oldest on-" Marco hit him on the head. "Don't say stupid things. I'm not that old. My life isn't even half over yet," he said. Ace laughed, a big smile on. Mirio chuckled, too.

"You guys do act like brothers even though you aren't related," the youngest said. "It's nice to meet you, Marco. Well, I know Ace is safe, so I'm gonna go back to work. Nighteye isn't upset about you missing work for a bit. It was a huge mission, after all." Then he grinned. "I can't wait to hear all about it when you want to talk about it."

Ace smiled. "I'll tell you another time."

"Sounds good!" and he walked through the wall and back off of campus. Marco laughed, asking why Ace couldn't be responsible like Mirio. Ace shot back that he was responsible, but then his face crumbled.

He sighed and pressed his lips together. "I wasn't a good commander for the last two weeks. I'm so sorry, I made life harder for everybody," Ace said softly. Marco bonked his head softly.

"Your feelings were understandable. Remember what Thatch was like after Teach's attempt? Was he upset about something traumatizing wrong or a bother?" Ace opened his mouth to argue before nothing came out. Marco was right about that. With Teach's betrayal two years ago, Thatch took it the worst, as he was the one who was almost murdered. The only reason he hadn't been killed was because a button popped off of his shirt and he bent down to pick it up, unintentionally dodging the knife.

He'd become a drunk as well, only he stopped when he was told he wasn't allowed to cook while being an alcoholic. Like Ace had been for the last two weeks. "And remember what happened then? With the support of all of us?"

"He got sober, and was happier than before," Ace muttered. "But, this situation is a lot different, Marco, you know that."

Marco nodded, "I do know that. And I know Thatch is strong. Ace, I think you're stronger. Not because of your devil fruit or natural talent. You've been through so much but can still smile everyday. Ace, it took you four trips in an unknown world to get to you. You know most on our crew would be panicking, a _mess_." Ace wasn't making eye contact. "You already charmed everyone in this freaking world. Except one brat. You don't even have to try to be strong and a good person."

He walked forward and said, "If we know anything about you from all these years, it's that you're resilient. I'm sure, if things don't work out, that you could grow to smile in both places. Make friends in both places, you already have."

Ace was sniffling. "I don't want to…"

Marco smiled. "You may not want to, but you _can._ " Ace wiped his tears away, not wanting to cry out in the open. "Let's go back to the room, you look exhausted. I know being upset causes more sleep attacks." Ace nodded.

As they walked, he said, "You're too nice to be a wanted criminal." Marco laughed. "And you aren't?"

They both smiled, and Ace was thinking Thatch was probably the best of them all. The nicest. It was part of him that rubbed off on Ace. Wanting to be in another family. And making friends. Was Ace good at making friends? "Marco, am I good at making friends? I can never tell. And it took months for me to accept you guys. After all of this, I'm finding it hard to really think about my qualities." He looked at the sky. "I'm all jumbled up."

Marco replied, "You are good at making friends, even when you don't try. Or even want to make friends. You naturally pull people to you, once you finally open up. Everyone on our protected islands love you." Ace nodded, knowing that was true.

"Probably only because I don't wear a shirt and am ripped," Ace said, joking. He did get a lot of stares from women on islands where the citizens knew if Ace will hurt them or not. Marco laughed, admitting that was probably some of it. "Hey, I was joking!"

"Well, I wasn't," Marco countered. Ace was in a better mood. Marco was a life saver. When they got to the room, they saw there was a sack on the floor in front of Ace's area. He picked it up and there was a note under it that Marco read.

"'You were caught on camera while fighting with All Might. You've got fan mail'." Marco laughed.

Ace was shocked. "I… got fan mail? The fuck?" he asked, opening the bag to see there were indeed tons of envelopes. They entered the room and locked the door before Ace dumped the contents of the sack onto the bed. He counted them and realized there were 33 letters, and four packages. "What is going on...?"

They both started opening the letters, saying aloud what they were about. Many of them, the handwriting was terrible, showing that it must have been a child who wrote it. Lots of them expressed how "cool" he was while fighting with All Might. Telling him he must have been really scared. He was confused. He was a wanted pirate, this was wrong.

But he didn't stop reading the letters.

A couple had drawings in them. One was of him being on fire, but with the distinct Whitebeard mark on his back. At least that part was visible. Even defacing his family's cause, he was glad people saw it.

"This is weird," Marco said. "I wonder what's in the packages," he mumbled and opened them. "Hah, someone actually made you into a toy."

"What?!" Marco handed him the plastic figure of himself. It was actually really nicely made. Mirio told him about something called a 3D printer that made some of the costume pieces heroes have. In the other three packages was an embroidered… handkerchief?... with a fiery pattern on it, and one had a framed photo of a little boy dressed in a mock version of his outfit. Even with the freckles on him.

"Well, looks like you can't do shit about people thinking you're a hero now," Marco said bluntly. Ace wasn't listening as he read one of the last letters.

_I was born without a quirk, and everybody laughed at me. But I want to be a cool hero, or even a side kick. And you weren't only using fire, you were beating them up super cool, too! It was amazing! Maybe I can be a hero if I learn what you did? I never thought being police would be fun, but if I can work and learn from heroes, then I'll gladly be a regular hero! You're really cool. Thanks._

Ace gripped the paper tightly, almost ripping it before his hands relaxed and he gently put it back in the envelope. "I don't understand. I didn't do anything special. All Might was the one to do the most work."

"Well, you fought with him, right? And you've fought with him twice already. Once against him and once with him. And you look pretty cool when you fight, you show off," Marco said lightly, putting the letters back in the bag. Ace pointed out that he was exhausted and worried, not exactly showing off. "Can you _not_ show off with you work with fire?" Marco replied.

He sat next to Ace, and asked how he felt about this. He was still worried about Ace, even if he tried to lighten the mood as much as he could without being insensitive. Marco was always like that, always knowing when somebody was upset. Always there to help.

Ace was quiet for a little bit. "I don't know how I feel about it."

"Did reading them make you feel happy?" he wondered. Ace was holding the figure. It didn't have the hat, sadly. But it had been lost at the original hideout at that time.

Ace replied, "Made me feel kinda cocky. Like 'fuck yeah, I looked cool' but more toned down." Marco asked again if it made him feel happy. Ace's face turned red in shame and embarrassment. "...Yeah," he said in a tiny voice. "I don't know how to feel, Marco. I don't know who to be."

Marco leaned against the wall the bed was up against. "Does it matter? We're pirates. By nature, we do what makes us happy, right? Maybe you could be real slick and have a double life or something. You made a good friend here, right? Mirio seems like a genuinely nice guy."

Ace looked at him. "Why are you doing this? Do you want me to stay like this?" he didn't sound accusing, just confused.

"I want what makes you happy. I know if we destroy that cave, it might not work. We should all be prepared for that. If you can't go back to how it was before, and this back and forth lasts, do you want to be miserable while you're here? In this other part of your life?" Ace shook his head, and knew Marco was telling the truth.

The cave plan might not work. They didn't know what about it made it different. What about it had caused this to happen in the first place. There may not be a solution. Rarely did the universe ever give Ace a break. And the New World defies expectations. Hell, they might arrive there and the island could have sunk. It could have teleported somewhere. It could have dissolved, or a giant monster ate it.

There was no such thing as a guarantee in the New World.

"I… can't keep whining and crying and moping about it. I don't want to be weak like that. I'll do my best to stay strong, even when I'm lonely or… or scared. I'm a commander, I can't be weak or a burden," he said, voice getting stronger the longer he spoke. "What happened for the last two weeks will never, ever happen again. I promise," Ace finished.

Marco grinned. "That's our Ace. I'm still gonna watch over for now, but I'm not your parent or caretaker." He put a hand on Ace's shoulder. "I'm you big brother, and I got your back no matter what." Ace grinned and nodded back.

Ace did as he said. He stayed away from the students, able to go anywhere they weren't with his haki. He and Marco mostly stayed inside except at night or while school was in session. After the whole All For Once incident and All Might deflating, the world was in chaos and the school was being scrutinized. Ace was glad he didn't need to deal with it.

Marco trailed him, and if Ace ever got distant or quiet, Marco would interrupt it and make sure he didn't fall into a hole. And that only happened two times. It was a quiet week of healing for Ace, and Marco was there the whole time.

More fan mail came, and Ace didn't know what he was supposed to do with all of it. There was just so much. "Where does this go? Do I reply? Do I burn them?" Ace asked, hands deep in the pile of fan mail he wasn't even reading anymore.

Marco was reading a book on the bed from the library. They weren't allowed to leave the building, and they weren't. "Do what you want with them. If burning them feels right, then do that. You could always just stuff them somewhere to hide them. I mean, the figures you were sent could finally put some life in this boring room." Ace nodded. He had gotten a figure of himself beside All Might, when he still was buff. These printers were really talented.

It was late at night, and he saw All Might out on a stroll, shoulders slumped. "I'll be right back," Ace said, and dropped down from his window and hurried to the more emaciated man. He looked so depressed, how Ace had been. He lost everything. That's what he felt like most likely. His image, his place in the world, his quirk, his job.

"Oh, Ace-san. How are you feeling? How's all that fan mail?" He sounded entertained.

Ace replied, "I'm feeling a lot better. Marco's a huge help. The fan mail is… weird. I've never gotten mail before. Ever. And people keep sending me drawings and figurines and stuff. I never even saw the video that triggered all of it." Then he paused and looked up.

"How are you feeling?" All Might looked down, and didn't answer. "You're feeling sorry, for yourself, right? I can recognize it, it's easy to see," Ace said in a nice voice. All Might slumped even more. "Are you doing anything about it?"

"What can I do? I lost my power to be the symbol of peace. I'm just a weak teacher now." Ace was surprised he was opening up to _him._ Well, they had gone through a lot, and he felt they'd formed some sort of friendship.

Ace huffed. "You saw my crew, All Might. And there are only three of us there beside Pops that have devil fruits. Do you think you need a quirk to be fit? To be strong? You should be pumping iron, not moping. Sure, you don't have your super strength anymore, but you can be strong in a normal way.

"You're not ill or dying, there's no reason you can't get back the image you were before. You're perfectly fine and have no excuse not to get strong the hard way. You don't even have any high cholesterol or any underlying health conditions."

The former pro-hero looked surprised. Then he touched his injury. Well, where it had been and no longer was. "You're right. I've been moping and lax. I can do more if I just get back into it." He smiled at Ace.

"It's not gonna be easy getting so fit and also doing your work duties as well," Ace said with a grin. "But you were balancing hero work with your job, so it shouldn't be too hard to find time. I need to keep in shape, too. We could be work out buddies," Ace laughed. All Might chuckled as well.

"You have a kind heart, Ace-san. Never lose it." Ace smiled and said he wouldn't. "Have you decided what you want to do?" Ace looked down and nodded.

He said, "I can't whine or lament what used to be anymore. I can't think only about the past. And it's hard thinking about the future. But, even if I can never go back to normal, I'm not gonna be miserable here." He looked up and asked, "How are the students? The ones who were directly involved it the fight?"

All Might smiled again. "They want to see you. And thank you. Apparently they all knew about the kids going to rescue young Bakugo. They are all in trouble, but those who came are in the deepest trouble. The staff have been leaving you alone and we've kept the media away due to your wish to have time to yourself, but everyone wants to thank you. You kept the kids safe even when you couldn't get them to leave. And none of them got hurt. We are eternally thankful for that."

Ace sighed. "I'm still pissed that they did that, but it saved Bakugo. And I was able to keep the villains from following them. Any sightings of them?" he asked seriously. All Might shook his head. "Well, I burned all of them pretty badly. Hopefully they are really feeling that."

The teacher also mentioned how he'd broken their bones in other ways, so they needed to recover from that as well. "All For One has been arrested, but the League of Villains is still out there. And they are most likely furious with us. Yourself as you have thwarted them over and over by taking the nomus out, and myself for getting their leader in prison. The kids in general most likely as they'd been the ones to take back young Bakugo."

Ace nodded. He'd faced plenty of enemies, these ones wouldn't be too bad. "To be honest, I think you will be one of the main targets. If it were anybody else, we would have moved you off campus for the safety of the students. But you've protected them multiple times, and are part of our establishment, so you will be staying, of course," All Might explained.

He blinked twice. "You are now my official assistant. You'll be getting a salary as well. Not a full salary, but you will get paid for each class you help with. And you are also working with Sir Nighteye's agency. You'll be kept pretty busy." He paused. "Have you accepted the world calling you an unofficial hero? There is video of you fighting alongside me, even if we weren't fighting together."

Ace nodded. "I can't just tell everyone to screw off and leave me alone. I don't want to go through school, but I'm fine with helping out in other ways. Patrolling with Mirio has been great. I should really talk to him, I'm feeling better now and I don't want him to worry needlessly."

All Might told him he could use the school's phone system to call since Ace didn't have a phone. "Thanks."

"You're brother works wonders, not just in the medical sense. You've changed completely since arriving last week. I'm sorry for how bad your two weeks sounded," the man said sincerely. It was weird having All Might look like this. But, with a ton of work, he could be how he was before. It was true, he had no reason he couldn't work out and regain his image the hard way.

Ace nodded. "It was hard. It finally all came crashing down on me at once. But I won't fall into that pit again. I can't do anything about this situation but hope it will stop one day, so I shouldn't mope or worry when there's no point."

All Might agreed with that. "Well, I am going to retire while I am still feeling good. Thank you for the talk, Ace-san." Ace gave him a smile and nodded. He walked back to his window and rocketed himself back inside. It was the third story, so safe to have open but also easy to get up and down from.

Marco grinned at him. "You gonna be the former superhero's personal trainer?" he joked. Ace smirked, and said if he was then All Might would hate him. Maybe he'd just exercise with him and then build that up. Ace was still very fit. He just wanted to stay that way. He'd not exercised at all during his nightmare two weeks on the Moby Dick.

They both went to bed, Marco in a sleeping bag that was given to him while Ace was on his bed. He was surprised when there was a knock on his door the next morning. He sensed it was All Might. Weaker though he may be, Ace could still feel it was him. He opened the door, and the man wished both of them good morning.

"Since the camp got ruined, the class will be working on getting the provisional licenses here, where it is safer. I wanted to ask if Ace wished to join. And Marco has permission to watch if he stays out of sight," he explained. "It will be a return to a new normal. I think that's for the best, for both of us."

Ace looked at Marco. "Hey, you're the one calling the shots here. I'm just a visitor," he said. Ace nodded, saying he'd like to take part. Class wasn't for another two hours so he and Marco had time to shower and eat.

"I wonder how they'll react to you," Marco wondered while they ate. The students ate in the dorm nowadays and so the others had the cafeteria to themselves. Ace asked what he meant. "Well, you haven't properly talked to any of them since before the camp. You saved their asses twice in the same week."

Ace had forgotten about that. After all, to him, the camp was a month ago. To the others, it was a little over a week. Time would always move differently to Ace. But Marco had a plan, an experiment he was going to do when they got back home. If the cave didn't work out, then he would take measurements of Ace's hair and fingernails to see if his body aged while he was trapped in the two weeks that lasted an hour.

"I don't know how they'd react. I guess we'll see," Ace replied before Ace headed to the correct gym, where the other teachers were waiting. Marco flew up and stayed on the roof, planning on napping so he stayed out of sight and didn't cause trouble for anyone.

When Ace arrived, he made sure to do it a few minutes earlier than the whole thing was gonna start, just in case something happened. When he came into view, looking normal and not worn out and dirty like the last time they'd seen him, those that he'd saved from the forest went running over and thanked him.

It was uncomfortable, but he said they were welcome. "And thank you for helping them with the Bakugo rescue," Tokoyami said.

Ace replied, "I made sure they didn't get hurt." The bird kid asked how Ace was feeling after the fight. It was a huge one, and All Might was still recovering, but Ace was perfectly healthy. "I'm perfectly fine. My brother healed my wounds for me. Anyways, focus on what you're doing now. I don't want to distract you."

He heard Mineta whisper, "He's so cool," under his breath. Ace zoned out as Eraser Head talked about the provisional license. Ace just knew they were what you needed to become closer to being a certified hero. Super moves… those should be fun to watch. He didn't know what his part would be in it, but he was interested in seeing how this went.

To sum it up, the kids needed to learn super moves or they wouldn't succeed in life as a hero. Ace glanced at Freckles. What would he do? He could move better, but he'd shattered his bones again after the camp nightmare. All Might had told him personally that Midoriya's arms would be permanently damaged if he didn't find a different method.

It was obvious to Ace. If he couldn't use his arms, then all he had left were his legs. And while Freckles could be smart, he could also be clueless, so he wondered if and when he would catch on. Well, Ace wouldn't give him hints this time. He had to figure this out on his own. He still felt bad he was unable to train with him the second time and Todoroki again. He felt like he was breaking his word, but so many things happened all at once or at least close together.

Apparently, Ace was just going to supervise? Ectoplasm clones were doing most of the tutoring, so Ace was left to sit and watch. He wished he could fight with them, actually help them progress. Sure, he'd saved some of them twice in the last two weeks (for them), but he hadn't helped them really in the long run.

He looked up when he sensed All Might, who still had a broken arm. He had it out of its sling last night apparently. He looked so uncomfortable, and Ace felt for the man. Everyone's image of him had changed. Well, he'd go back to normal with intense exercise and a hearty diet.

Ace had been watching Bakugo, the closest in view of where he was sitting. Though he disliked him (very much), he was strong and used his quirk well. He would be a terrifying villain to a lot of people. But he'd declined an offer from the League of Villains, so Ace was sure that had convinced most that he wasn't "bad". He just had a bad temper and liked to say "die" and "kill" a lot.

As he watched them and listened, he noticed Freckles looking a little sad and lost. Still hadn't figured out his legs were the only things he had left to fight with. All Might walked up to his favorite to give him some advice. Ace felt Marco move and looked up to see him peeking inside, upside down.

Nobody saw him, too focused on their own training and Marco was hard to see at that angle. It was boring, and Ace didn't know why he was invited and ended up taking a nap. The next three days were just as boring with the training, but he did call Mirio on the school phone. It was a landline which felt more comfortable to him. More familiar, like a den den mushi. He still sought out things that he knew better, even if it was a bit different.

"Ace! How are you?" Mirio asked. "It's weird to talk over the phone, you usually avoid it like the plague!" Ace laughed.

"I'm doing much better. I've come to terms, finally, that this might not end. If it doesn't, I can't mope and pout my two weeks every time, right?" If it was a den den mushi, Ace knew it would be nodding. "I've got fan mail. It won't stop. I have no idea where to put it or what to do with it," he said in a flat voice. "There's too much."

Marco was in the library, finding books and reading them when he wasn't with Ace. He was incredibly patient, but Ace should have known he would be. And he let him be on his own, but made sure they spent time together to make sure Ace truly was past that horrible time he'd had. Putting that behind him.

"Well, you were seen clearly fighting almost all of the remaining members of the League, right? That's bound to get a lot of attention," Mirio said logically. Ace sighed that he knew that, but he just had nowhere to put all of it.

"I feel like it'd be wrong to throw them away or burn them, but still. I can't read all of them either. They're just going to waste," Ace explained. Mirio said that there might be somewhere on campus he could store them. He pointed out that there were a lot of empty dorm rooms around his own that he might be able to use as storage. "That's a good idea, I'll ask about that. When were you planning on meeting class 1-A?" he wondered. He couldn't wait to see their faces when they face Mirio's power.

"Some time after the provisional license training. Man, you're lucky you didn't need to go through that," Mirio said honestly. Ace pointed out that he hadn't asked to be a hero, they just sort of sucked him in. "Plus, you already have a lot of experience fighting and being a leader. All you really need is to be taught how to act like a hero, but everyone knows you don't want to be a perfect one." Ace nodded.

He replied, "Yeah, I'm glad people have stopped asking me. But the public assumes I'm a pro-hero now. I was just an extra tool. I never expected to be part of the major fight. I'm just glad I could help out in the end, even if All Might still lost his powers at the end of everything," he said sadly. "But, I've convinced him to start building back up his muscles as soon as he can. You don't need to be a superhero to have a fit and strong body."

"That's a great point! He looks ill right now, but if he builds up himself to the image he once was and can be again, the public will see him differently. Right now, I think his appearance is hindering him more than being quirkless," Mirio replied. Ace agreed with that. Appearance was important in this world as well. He assumed it was just a human thing.

Ace yawned widely. "Well, I think I need a nap. Sleep attack is coming. It was nice talking to you again. Sorry about this and all," he said honestly and sincerely. Mirio made sure Ace knew he wasn't upset and was happy Ace was feeling better. They said goodbye and Ace made his way up to the bedroom and collapsed.

When he woke up, Marco was there and Ace had a note on the dresser that wasn't fan mail. He looked at the note that said "Meet me in the meeting room once you awake. - All Might" Ace sat up and woke Marco, he was also sleeping.

"Morning sleepyhead. No, you didn't sleep all night, I was just saying," Marco said with a laugh at Ace's reaction.

Ace wondered what the note was for, and put his shoes and hat on, he and Marco getting up and heading to the meeting room. He wondered if All Might was there waiting for him for a while. When he entered he was there, reading, so not super bored. Well, doing something on his phone, maybe not reading.

"Ace-san, Marco-san. I have some good news," All Might said. His smiles didn't look that good anymore but he still had the kind voice. Even if his appearance was shocking to everyone (and him), he was still All Might. Hopefully those focusing on his appearance will realize that once he's back to looking how he used to.

Ace and Marco both sat down at the table, wondering what it was. "There's a room in the teacher's corridor that had been remodeled. It's at the end of the hall with two windows on the fourth story. Would you like it?"

Ace beamed, and asked if it was any better than his current room. "Much. It's bigger, has a closet and an attached bathroom. It is ridiculous that the children all have those perks yet the staff don't."

"Thank you!" Ace said with a bow. All Might even offered to get him a better mattress. They all knew the one Ace slept on was shit. "Even if I don't stay here permanently? Well, you know what I mean."

For Ace it wasn't permanent, but for everyone else it was. He was gone an hour for everybody else, so to them, he was there pretty much all the time. "Even if this isn't permanent we'll have an extra room for any incoming teachers or more assistants. Maybe it could be a guest room or something of a sort," the retired pro-hero said. Ace thanked him again. "It will be done before your time here is up again."

Ace was happy. He wouldn't be in a shitty, tiny bedroom anymore. An old one, not renovated. His room in the Moby wasn't renovated or anything, but it was kept functional and nice. This one was old. The Moby's was old but everyone took care of the ship well.

"How's the fan mail?" Ace sighed, saying it never ended. "Don't worry, you can put them in the room where we put all of the fan mail. We're heroes, so we get a lot of fan mail as well. There is a storage room for all of it." Ace asked if they didn't read them. "There are too many. And we can't respond to any of them without upsetting anyone. We do open the packages after they are checked by the postmen who deliver our things," he explained.

Ace nodded, glad to have a new room and a place to put all of the envelopes. He wondered how much All Might had. When he and Marco walked into said room to look, they saw a massive, massive mound of mail in one corner, all addressed to All Might. In the other corners of the room were letters to the other teachers that worked and were also pro-heroes.

Ace dumped his sack in an empty spot next to Eraser Head's pile. His sack had he smallest amount in it. All Might was by far the largest, though it wasn't surprising. He noticed there were no packages, meaning those were all opened and not dumped in here.

He would miss Marco the next time he jumped, but he wouldn't be the mess he was the time before. He'd never get that bad again, and he knew his family would never allow a repeat of that dark, dark time. One of the darkest he'd had in many years.

On the fourth day of the kids provisional license training, All Might was there again, giving advice to the students. He was sad for the man with everyone looking at him as if he were completely helpless and weak. Ace would be furious if that happened to him.

When Ace was working to take the large chunks of broken rock to one corner so it didn't get in the way of others, he noticed one of them falling far off and saw All Might would get hit. He raced over, but Freckles was there, and kicked the rock out of the way! Finally, he figured out how to use his legs!

Ace grinned and jokingly complained, "Freckles, you just gave me a ton of rocks to pick up." He grinned at Ace, looking completely proud, a face he rarely wore. Ace looked up, sensing the anger, and saw Bakugo glaring down. Ace sighed, wishing they could get along. He didn't see it happening anytime soon, but hopefully some day.

Freckles didn't seem to mind being called that, and he had less creative and endearing nicknames for others. When talking to them directly, their names are there, but thinking is mostly nicknames based on their abilities. He and All Might were talking while Ace picked up the pieces quickly and carried them to the pile of rock.

He looked over again and saw Freckles had moved away, and All Might had an air of sadness and embarrassment about him. "Once you're buff again, nobody will feel the need to protect you. My normal brothers can punch through stone, there's nothing you can't do when you challenge yourself to the max."

All Might smiled at him. "Once my arm is healed, I will get right on it!" Ace beamed back, and went to continue collecting the rocks, the most boring job on the planet. Well, less boring than cleaning as he got _some_ exercise.

Ace noticed the new outfit for Freckles and commented on it. "Makes you look tougher to be honest," he said.

Freckles eyes sparkled. "Ace-san is telling me I look tough!" All Might chuckled and Ace barely heard Marco laugh from outside, head peeking just barely to see everything upside down. Ace put his hand behind his back and flipped Marco off. "Well, I'm just being honest. Your costume looked kinda incomplete to me. Now it looks much stronger."

Ace went back to cleaning up the rocks, smiling at Freckle's reaction. It was funny. After he walked away and then came back, he found the teen getting complimented on his progress, and Ace felt happy for him. He was already friends with these kids, but it was always nice to have more support when you do things right to improve.

All Might told Freckles that that attack was very good for the provisional license test they'd be taking. Ace hoped he could have a part in it. He looked up to see Bakugo with a crazy expression on, glaring daggers at Freckles. Ace sighed, and he and All Might shared a look, Ace shaking his head slightly. He walked off to pick up other rocks that had fallen. Picking up at least three each time. They were heavy to any normal person, but they were fine for Ace.

The door slammed open and Vlad King was there with his class. Looked like it was their turn to use the gym. Ace picked up the last rock as Vlad King yelled at Eraser Head to get out. Ace didn't know if he'd stay for this class, but knew he was better off leaving when the guy gave Ace a nasty look. Well, he didn't like class 1-B as well either.

So he left with Marco, walking around the opposite side of the building so the students didn't see him. "I'm glad I brought a book," Marco said. Ace looked guilty, and asked if he was bored and angry. "Why would I be angry while you do your tasks? You get along well with everyone. I'm not surprised, though." Ace turned red.

"I can't help it," the younger replied. Marco smiled at him, ruffling his hair as his hat was resting on his back. But then he heard Freckles calling his name and running over. "Ace-san!" he called. Well, it was too late for Marco to leave and not be seen flying away.

"What's up?" He looked at Marco questioningly. "This is my brother. He came along this time for a personal reason." The kid asked if he was the one to heal All Might and Marco nodded. Freckles bowed and thanked him sincerely. The phoenix said it was no big deal, and he was glad the man was doing well. "So, what's up?" Ace repeated.

"I wanted to ask if you could help me learn kicks? I'm not sure how to do it well yet. And it's going to be my main attack now. I can't use my arms," he said, sounding sad and looking at the limbs he'd damaged so often.

Ace said he wasn't too good at kicks, but then something popped into his head. "You know, Marco mainly works with kicks. Maybe he could help you out," Ace said with a smile. "You would be able to go as hard as you can on him and not worry about injuring him." Freckles' face lit up.

Marco said, "You didn't even ask me," but it was in a joking voice. "Well, I'm totally bored, so why not?" he asked.

"Thank you!" Ace told him that no one else could know about Marco's presence, and to keep this a secret. "I swear I won't say a thing," the kid promised. Ace offered to do it right after class, meet in the park away from any sight. There were so many places they could practice. "Okay, I will!"

Ace smiled and said he'd see him then.

It was three hours later that Freckles came running into the park area just outside of one of the forest areas. The campus was just way too big. Well, maybe it was needed for all the crazy shit they did, but still, it was huge.

He was wearing his hero costume. "Ready?" Marco asked, not waiting for any pause. He had a backpack on with a notebook open to take notes, which was not surprising and a good thing to do. Keeping notes was keeping organized. "Kick me as hard as you can without injuring yourself."

Freckles nodded, trusting that Ace and Marco weren't lying about Marco's immunity to the kicks. His leg lit up and he kicked as hard as he could, knocking Marco to the side a bit. He asked if Marco was okay. "I'm completely fine. I'm a phoenix, I can't sustain injuries. That kick was in the wrong place. Since your short and many enemies will be bigger than you. The easiest parts to get for a bigger enemy is not high on the body.

"Aim for the tailbone, if you break it, it will be incredibly painful. Another good place to kick or hit is the kidney. It will cause a lot of pain too. And with the power of the kick you did, it would inflict serious injuries. Always go for the nearest debilitating kick. The groin, of course, is a sensitive place, but I know most people think it's playing dirty. Except for Ace, but still.

"The back of the knees, which I'm sure Ace told you about. Kicking the back will usually make them fall, but the front of the knee will shatter upon a heavy strike. Here, aim for those spots right now," Marco instructed. Ace was taking notes for him. Freckles looked over. "I got it, just pay attention to this, okay?" The teen nodded and aimed at the places Marco told him about. He was controlling how hard he went, not breaking any bones. Though Marco was easy to kick, he kept himself more solid so the painful points were hit.

"Nice! You're good at aiming. I saw you jumping off of the rock cliff earlier. Why don't we try that and you can go on my head and face?" Marco offered. Freckles was a bit nervous about that before Ace reminded him that Marco was pretty much invincible. "Okay."

They went to the highest point, which was a tall hill, and Freckles stood at the top, with Marco at the base, facing sideways. "Ready?"

"Any time." The kid jumped off of the cliff at high speeds, and slammed into Marco's face with one leg. Marco grabbed it. "React instantly!" he said, and the kid used his other leg to hit Marco in the back of the head, and then dropped down.

Ace said, "Nice! Quick response time is a must when fighting any skilled enemies. You have to assume they will stop you and you have a back up plan. An instance of hesitation could be your downfall." Freckles was red in the face but smiling.

"Try that again, but I'll grab you in a different place," Marco instructed. He nodded and went back up the hill. He muttered something about percentage and shot off again. He kicked Marco in the front of the face again, only he grabbed his foot and pulled him down. Freckles used the moment of being lower to kick the tailbone. "You're a fast learner. That was great," Marco praised.

They practiced response time and being in the air over and over before it seemed to be muscle memory. "So, I'm sure there will be some sense of dodging in the test, so we'll try that. Then we can work on how you can angle your kicks for the most damage," Ace explained. "I'm not sure, but to me, that would be a must."

Freckles was tired and got some water, but continued to practice as hard as he could. It was impressive. He was able to dodge the fire guns Ace sent at him mostly, but he got hit a few times. They weren't hot enough to do damage, but they were good to practice with. After about an hour of that, where he started to use his powers to get away from clusters, they finally got to his kicking. He was good and stretched for this.

"Aim for my hand," Marco said. Freckles nodded, and just barely missed. But he tried again and did well. After aiming for both hands at different heights. Marco showed him in show motion his own kicks.

"Coming from above is the best way to damage an opponent in the head. You've become good at jumping with your power, so now use that power to give you the chance at attacking from above. Like this," and Marco threw his leg up and slammed it down on Ace's head, right in the skull. "With those heavy boots, you could possibly crack the skull if you're in a desperate situation." Ace stood since he was shorter, and helped Freckles control his aim.

He lifted his leg with one hand to show how high he'd have to jump, releasing him so he could kick down. "Nice! You can also go for the shoulders, but the head is more damaging. So, you can jump now. Quiz time! Where is the best place to hit when an opponent is bigger than you?"

"The kidneys and tail bone."

"Where on the leg is the most damaging area to kick?"

"The front of the knee so it will break."

"What move do you do if you are grabbed by the leg high up."

"Us my other leg to get a hit in and then drop down while they are surprised."

"Is it better to kick head on or from the side?"

"The side of the head. You can hit all parts of the face at once, and then aim for the back of the head. Use the front to damage ears."

"What part does the most damage from above?"

"Down on the head for most damage, shoulders for less damage but still a good place to aim."

"Do you remember how to dodge the best?"

"Use all my senses the whole time. Something might not just come at me in the front. Keep flicking my eyes around to make sure I keep track of everything."

"Great job! I wrote all of that down for you and made some pictures. Now, go get some food and rest. I'm not a teacher, so showing you this stuff shouldn't get me in trouble. I would help anyone if they asked."

Freckles promised he wouldn't tell anyone about Marco or their practicing. Ace smiled and said he'd see him tomorrow. He went running off happily, though he looked tired. Ace smiled at Marco. "We did well."

"I haven't trained someone that weak since you,'' Marco said jokingly. They headed back to the main building to get something to eat and then go to the room.


	18. Provisional License Exam Fun

**I don't know why, but I rarely get rude reviews on here when all of them come from ff.net. I put a reviewer on blast there because of their review lol. Here it is:**

_**Wickerstein: Here is your review: "His mood swings aren't only over the top, but completely awkward to read through.** _   
_**"Woe is me!"** _   
_**I can't even believe that this is Ace. One Piece can get emotional, but dear God, it feels more like you're trying to project your depression into this. Get actual help."** _

_**Wickerstein: Here is my response: You are probably the most disrespectful reviewer I have ever had. First, you leave a nasty review for a story that wasn't even mine on this one. Then you leave a nasty review AGAIN that has no constructive criticism and is just plain unnecessary. Please feel free to NOT review any of my other stories, or even read them. They almost all have someone depressed. And I've seen your reviews on other peoples' stories that aren't mine, so I'm not saying you only are rude to me. Think about how the people you review on feel when you just shit on them. Oh, and with one other comment: I refer to Thirteen as a female throughout the story. If there's one typo, it's one time. By the way, somebody else commented that they thought his emotions were over the top and I responded politely. Next time, how about don't be a complete jerk about it.** _

* * *

#### Carimes_treehouse: Thank you! Lol the button that was a blessing. How embarrassing to only miss killing him because he barely bent over. And yeah, All Might had already been sent to OP world like that, and I thought Marco would be the perfect one to go with him for this. 

#### Kucinggarong: Marco is a loveable badass. I think people would assume it's a cool quirk. :( Marco would deserve more awe.

#### An interested reader: lol thank you. I can just image eraser head staring at his pile of fanmail just irritated and Present Mic making fun of him and spamming him in disguise as well. 

#### Hiji: Can you image if Pops had come instead? People would have either been like "ooh wow! He's so big, why's he so big?" or like "Shit run! A big muscled old guy with a huge weapon!"

#### Adamari2001: Happy Friday again! I'm glad people aren't upset that much that he didn't come with a lot of fanfare. I just only could see calm, cool and calculated Marco making sure not to cause a scene and only there for Ace. 

#### Lucynda_Raciak: I'm glad!

#### OtherwiseAce: Lol they love teasing Ace. Or at least I love reading and writing them teasing Ace.

#### ssatturn: Don't worry, I could understand perfectly. Yeah, Ace was a mess. So much just all came down on him at once, and then add alcohol to the mix and it's not good. But Marco's always there for him, even in fics that aren't romance. Well, besides a whopping 4 out of 81 fics Marco is a jerk lol. 

* * *

**This chapter I think people will like a lot. It was so damn fun to write omg. Ace gets to play the villain again! And has so much fun with it. Enjoy~**

* * *

The next morning, Freckles was in a good move, and trained by himself with the moves Ace and Marco had taught him. Nobody seemed to notice at first besides All Might, who made no comment, just looked surprised. When Freckles smiled at Ace, All Might seemed to have caught on. He walked to Ace, who started to sweat, hoping he wasn't in trouble.

"Did you help him?" he asked quietly.

Ace looked to the side and then back. "Yeah. I've helped him and Todoroki before. I helped him with various things." All Might looked conflicted. "If anyone else had asked, I would have. I'm not playing favorites," he said in a knowing voice.

All Might stared at him. "What? His mentor is injured, what was I supposed to do? Besides, he was the one that did the most work. I just showed him the basics." All Might laughed, saying they shouldn't tell anyone. "Well, I'd be the one in trouble, not him."

"That is true," All Might admitted as Ace got back to his collecting rocks while Marco watched from his usual spot.

"Oh, All Might. I should be leaving tomorrow some time. I won't be able to help since I need to stick with Marco like I did with you. When I come back, I'll be ready to full time work here and at Nighteye's as well," he explained. He and Marco had both lost track of time until Ace heard the date of the test and remembered he would be leaving soon.

The man nodded, saying he wished him good luck. And would see him soon, most likely. Ace nodded.

Nobody found out about Freckles' sudden increase in fighting skill but Bakugo, who just looked more angry than suspicious. He talked to Mirio that night and told him when he got back he'd be resuming his patrolling and paperwork. He'd be fine, and told Nighteye to say the same, and give his thanks.

"Sure! I hope your next two weeks are better than your previous! I'll see you soon, most likely," he said cheerfully. Ace thanked him for being so understanding. "Sure thing!"

The next day, Marco and Ace had their hands tied together like he had done with All Might all that time ago. It was months to Ace, but not that long for everybody else. He was no longer part of the time in both worlds. It didn't matter to him anymore, he'd defied everything known about it. Maybe he was time traveling between two worlds.

But it wouldn't make sense that the other world was the future as there was no record of pirates and then the planet was laid out so differently. It was when they were eating that they were suddenly on Ace's bed in his true bedroom. Ace and Marco both sighed in content.

"Thank you so much, for going with me. It was a long two weeks," Ace said, making sure his hat was with him, like always. It was his treasure, just like Luffy's straw hat was his. Marco shook his head. Luckily, he had his bag with him, too, so that arrived as well.

"It was interesting. I didn't see much, but what I did was interesting. And seeing you with kids like that was adorable," he teased. Ace shoved his shoulder. "C'mon, let's go show everyone you're back to normal." Ace nodded, and they left the room. When they went out on deck, everyone looked sad and worried. Probably because, to them, Ace had been a mess only an hour ago, if the pattern persisted.

When Pops looked up, he said their names happily. Everyone flocked to them, looking at Ace in worry. Thatch asked if he felt better. "I feel fine, now. I'm really sorry I put everyone through that. It must have been horrible to see. I won't ever be that again, I swear," he said with conviction. They started crying and hugging him. He fell to the deck as they dogpiled him.

He was smiling, and apologized again. Once he was back on his feet and no longer being crushed, he said what had happened, the big news. "I've finally accepted it. That this might not end. And guess what? It's ridiculous, but I got fan mail. And figurines and toys of myself." The deck erupted into laughter and pointing. Ace laughed along with them. It really was ridiculous, a pirate getting fan mail.

Pops was laughing as well. It was such a change from only a few hours ago when Ace was depressed and scared. When he had barely been sober after he was an alcoholic. "I'm sorry you had to dump all of the booze," Ace said sincerely. Haruta said that his health was much more important than some sake.

The youngest smiled and nodded. He was home, for however long it took. "How much longer till the island? I forget every time."

"Three weeks. Then we have a chance!" Thatch said happily. Ace nodded. Just five weeks left. He could manage. He'd accepted the situation, and he wouldn't falter again. He said something surprising to everyone, aimed at Pops.

"Pops, if I ever get how I was again, fire me from my position," he said strongly. The crew gasped. Many protested, most of the second division, saying they were okay and wanted him better, even if it was a break for his mental health. "Guys, this wasn't just me being upset. I put everyone in danger. I wasn't myself, I could have interfered in an attack. I deserted my duties as a leader here to attempt to drown my feelings out with alcohol.

"That is not what a leader can do. I have responsibilities to myself, my division, and my family. What had happened was absolutely unacceptable. And I pledge that it won't happen ever again."

Pops looked at him for a couple moments. "Alright, I will. But, I will give one warning to you if you start to falter again. Okay?" Ace nodded and thanked him. Marco was so happy to be back and he told everyone about his own time there. It hadn't been very interesting, nothing big had happened.

"I met Ace's friend there. He sure is a happy guy. He can phase through people and objects. He reminded me of Thatch," Marco said. They were sitting, having an alcohol free party. They couldn't get any more, they were out at sea after all. "I'm glad Ace has him there."

They asked how All Might was. Ace hadn't talked much about it after he fell apart. So Marco told them the state he was in. How he was emaciated and with a broken arm. "Ace told him he had to work out to look how he used to. Ace might be his personal trainer, who knows?" The others laughed. They knew Ace would not be so kind, he'd be blunt, harsh and demanding.

Ace grinned and said, "Hey, he cheated. He got buff with his quirk. Now he has to work for it. I do feel for him, since he lost his quirk that had been so important to him. But, he has to move on and live to the fullest, even if he can't be a pro-hero again. He's still a teacher, and he needs to pick himself up off the ground for the sake of himself and everyone."

The others smiled at him with a sad smile. "That's how you feel? You're projecting your feelings onto him," Izo said softly. Ace looked surprised, knowing that was how he felt, but was also All Might's situation. Marco came to his rescue, saying what Ace had said was the reality, even if it applied to himself as well.

The days there were full of cheer, and they found out that they didn't need alcohol to be happy. Sure, the booze was fun and nice, but they were now thinking of restricting just how much they could have a day. Nobody wanted any sort of thing like Ace's collapse to happen, to anybody, not just the fire user.

More unlike last time, the time went at a normal pace. Ace was no longer drunk off his ass and not being able to tell how time passed. It felt so much faster, but also agonizingly slow. Now, it felt like two weeks. Every day was spent to the fullest, and he returned perfectly back into the second division commander mentality. He was a leader again.

He really did like adults more than kids, though some of them were alright. They all teased him about the whole fan mail thing, especially when some of them were asking for his "number" so they could go on a date. He really regretted telling them that. They would leave notes all over his room asking for his number, even if they were like him and didn't really grasp how cell phones worked.

Marco was different from Ace, and looked disappointed in the den den mushis. "You can't think like that. You're not going back again." Marco nodded, and complained that he wished he could create what the other world had. And have some of the medical equipment he'd seen.

Then he changed subjects. "You know, I was thinking of doing something one the day before you left. Just in case, due to the possibility of another exhausting fight, I'll give you my blood before you leave. As a preemptive measure. How do you feel about that?"

Ace thought it was very smart, but of course Marco came to that conclusion. He was very smart, after all. "I think that's a good idea. And you have so much on hand, too." Marco nodded, and said it was probably the best discovery about his powers that he'd had in decades. Ace agreed.

They stopped at an island on their way there, and Ace gladly went around the simple village, exploring the forest, only with someone else with him to make sure he got into no trouble. But they didn't, it was just a normal forest with animals they had fun hunting and then cooking with Ace's fire.

He didn't think about the approaching fifteen day mark, when he'd be on his own again, but he was fine. He would be fine, he knew it in his heart. He just knew the worst was behind him. He was just lucky that he fell apart with his family and not where the public would see. Nobody would trust him again if he became an alcoholic for any amount of time. So, it was good it all went down at home.

When day 14 arrived, they were all eating cake like no tomorrow, and at the end of the day, Ace spent much of the time in the infirmary, getting a large dose of Marco's healing blood. It made him feel safer. Like he had a safety net. Based on the long term effects it had on All Might at least a month and half ago, two weeks shouldn't deplete it much.

They'd already tested whether the blood was burned off like most medications, but the blood cells from Marco merged with Ace's own. Not all of his blood, but enough to keep him very healthy.

Before bed, Marco measured Ace's fingernails and hair. He'd be able to tell if Ace's body aged while in the other world, something Ace worried about. That's he'd grow older faster compared to his brothers. Two weeks faster for every month. He hoped that wasn't the case. He wanted to spend as much of his life as he could with them. And if this persisted, then he'd have a normal lifespan in the real world. His world was the real world.

He slept with his hat on that night, and kept it with him at all times, still not knowing if he could leave without it. That would be terrible even if it was only away for an hour at the other place. His hat was special, and he wouldn't feel right without it.

When he woke, he happily spent the time he had left with his brothers, playing poker. He disappeared when he was going to win the match, and landed on the ground, only somebody had put a mattress down for him, covered in plastic in case it rained.

Just that little thing made him feel even better. They cared about him. Or at least All Might did. He wondered how long he was gone, and ran back to the campus, forcing himself to smile as his emotional pain flowed through a drain and away from his mind and heart. He'll see them in two weeks.

When he found All Might's presence, it was at the gym they were all training at. He ran there and found the man and all of the kids. Ace stopped next to him, asking how long he'd been gone, startling him. "An hour again. It seems this is the pattern, now. How did your two weeks go?" the former pro-hero asked.

Ace grinned and said it went very well. "The worst is behind me. I know it. I won't collapse the way I had. I didn't drink anything while there, so I've been a month sober. I'm really thankful for whoever put the mattress there for me."

"It was young Midoriya's idea. He has transferred some of his fanatic obsession with myself to you," All Might said in amusement, not sounding bothered that Freckles had been a super fan even before they met. "Oh, would you like to take place in the first test? I've seen your firefly power up close. How long can that be sustained before they burst?"

"Up to ten minutes, why?" All Might smiled.

"We'll be making the first round more deadly. Can you specify how hard they blow up?" he asked. Ace nodded. He could also determine what temperature they were. "Then you'll be of great help. It's good to have you back. After the test, you'll go back to Nighteye's?" Ace nodded, saying he wanted to get back to work and felt guilty he'd taken two weeks off. "He understood, don't worry." Ace nodded, thankful for that. Nighteye looked like an unapproachable person, but if he likes you, then he's nice with you and tries to make you laugh. Sometimes by force.

Ace was practicing his fireflies the next day before students gathered, which would be put into rubber balls. Before Ace became well known and All Might mentioned his timed and long distance shots, he wasn't to be included. But after learning of that specific attack, he'd be planting fireflies to go off at certain moments.

The rubber balls were meant to hit the target's bullseyes on their body, thrown by other students. A free for all. But some of the rubber balls would explode if you hold them too long, keeping the pace fast and unpredictable. The fireflies would activate fifteen seconds after the pressure of a hand gripping it, and the balls would blow up.

They weren't hot or explosive enough to do much damage other than shock them and leave them more vulnerable. The students needed to be able to recover quickly from the sudden event. Ace would be watching through a crack of the fencing almost directly above the training area. So, he was making thousands of balls that exploded. There were enough balls to make the test as it had been before, only more of them were mines.

When the rules were explained once all of the students from various schools and it was mentioned that Firefist's powers would be included as bombs, they all freaked out a bit. But they got over it when they were told the explosives weren't going to be dangerously strong. Just enough to throw them off badly and leave smoke in front of them.

When it started, none of the balls blew up for the first throw. There were hundreds of bomb balls already planted in places and in the six that the students got. Two of the six were bombs, so they needed to throw quickly.

The moment it started, explosions already began, and left students vulnerable, only all of them were in the same boats, trying to get used to them. Bakugo, of course, was at a huge advantage, having an explosive quirk already.

Ace watched with glee as his fireflies detonated at the correct moments. It wasn't a move he used much, but it was easy for him to make, like firewalls were simple and didn't take much energy. His bombs made everything harder for everyone, and their throws were clumsier in the beginning before they started to take advantage of the problem with their various quirks. Todoroki was lucky since he froze the balls, making them blow up a bit slower, melting the ice so that the ball was still rubber.

Freckles was a huge advantage as well. Ace's theory had come true, and so he was better at avoiding the balls than the others. That hour of training his reaction time was crucial. And also having quick reflexes to respond to sudden things was heightened. Ace wondered if it was considered being resourceful or cheating.

Well, there was no rule that they couldn't ask Ace for help.

But then he felt a familiar and unwanted presence. Somewhere in that crowd of over a thousand students. was a villain he recognized. He didn't know how, and had not recognized anybody when he was reading up about quirks of all of the students. He had asked to do that just to know what kinds of diverse quirks there were.

He closed his eyes and focused before he felt one and opened his eyes to see it was a girl from Shiketsu high school. He recognized her uniform, light brown hair, a hat, a black bodysuit with white boots. He watched her take part in the game, not looking suspicious at all. But he'd come into contact with her multiple times. He recognized the insanity that accompanied her presence. But why was she here?

He jumped off of the roof and ran to Eraser Head, the closest teacher he found. He blasted through the stands and up in his face. "Come with me," he said seriously. Eraser Head went with him, by now trusting Ace was not the sort to joke around while pretending to be serious.

They went to a corner where nobody could hear. "Toga Himiko is here. The woman in the villain league. I can sense her and she's impersonating a student from Shiketsu. I can point her out in the logs of the students."

After all three battles Ace had taken part in, all of them involved observation haki, and so they trusted that power. Eraser Head grew incredibly serious. They hurried to the teachers room, the break room, and opened the book containing all of the students' identities and quirks. "This one," he said, pointing to a girl named Utsushimi Camie. "We don't know what Toga's quirk is. She may be able to impersonate people."

"We can't let everyone know or there will be mass panic. Someone has to go in and apprehend her. But you'd be completely noticeable. You are too tall to impersonate a student." Ace thought for a moment.

"Are there any spare costumes I can use? Or just a shirt and different hat?" he asked. They didn't know what Himiko was there for, if she was going to hurt somebody.

Eraser Head said they had no hero clothes with them here. "Damn it. I can stay in the outskirts of the ring, people might not notice me if I crouch," he said. "I can find her quickly and subdue her. Like I did the others, an intense chop to the neck. And her burns should still be painful."

The pro said, "I don't like this, but we need to get her immediately. Drop through a crack in shadow behind the buildings and work your way around. If someone sees you… you have permission to knock them out."

Ace was shocked. "But those people won't be able to take part in it anymore."

"Nobody will target someone unconscious. You have to hit them while they're awake. Using an injured person is against the rules. This is important. There is always next time for them," he said seriously. Ace nodded, and climbed up the side and onto the roof.

Eraser Head was going to the entrance to wait for Ace and gather the other heroes around. He dropped down behind the biggest building, all in shadow since he left his orange hat outside of the arena so it wasn't so noticeable. He made his way out of that area, sticking to a crouch at the wall hiding as best as he could, as he made his way to the area she was hiding in. There were still many explosions going on, so they were good distractors.

She was in the perfect place for him to snatch her. He sensed Uraraka there as well, and the moment he was behind Himiko, he used a small burst of haki to daze her and then chopped down hard on her neck. How was she able to move, anyway?

She was unconscious. "Ace-san? What…?"

Ace said, "Don't say a word to anyone, okay?" She nodded, still looking concerned. Ace wrapped his haki covered arm around her neck and stomach in a hold she couldn't get out of. She didn't wake the whole time, but she had tears in her eyes as her legs dragged on the ground. Her burns were still there, but she had been faking. Faking well, to not look in pain with the injuries she had.

He found the exit, and dragged her out of the small space made between the doors. Nobody saw him but Uraraka, thankfully. She was cuffed immediately and taken from the building a bit before Eraser Head erased her quirk, thick globs of slime coming off of her until her real appearance was exposed.

She was burned all over her arms and legs, but her face had not taken much of a hit. She had a burn on half of it, but it wasn't going to scar too bad. "Damn it, how did she get here?" Vlad King asked angrily. His class didn't partake in this test, but he was here to help out regardless.

"She was posing as a student and faked it. But where's the real one?" Ace asked quietly. Eraser Head looked angry, and All Might and the other U.A. teachers came. They had it under control, they didn't need other schools to know another villain had appeared. Especially around children and had gotten past everyone so easily. Not just U.A. teachers, all of them were responsible for not noticing.

Chains were tied around her and her ankles were cuffed. Ace sighed. Eraser Head asked if he recognized any more of the League of Villains presences. "No, she's the only one. Nobody else is recognizable but the students from U.A."

Vlad King was scowling at her. "Thank you, Firefist." Ace nodded. "We're not stopping the exam. Nobody has gotten hurt and there are no more villains. The kids will panic if they know she snuck in so easily." The others nodded. "We'll take her to the police. It's not U.A.'s issue this time, but all of the hero schools are involved. No, I'll get one teacher from each school. They need to be included, too, we can't hide it from them because it might make us look bad."

Eraser Head said that he would stay and Vlad King and Midnight would go. Midnight could put her to sleep if she woke up. Ace nodded, and said he'd go back to the roof and try and keep a perimeter so he could notice if anybody else appeared. He missed most of the battle, sadly. But he did hear over the speaker that all of class 1-A passed. Well, that's what happens when you fight off villains. Even if Ace ended up doing most of the work. Maybe that was wrong, but at least they all passed.

Freckles' was one of the earliest to pass thanks to the things Ace had taught him and his own adaptability and strategy. He was smart, and on top of that he had two commanders help train him, even if it was only once.

Ace didn't feel guilty at all. He would have helped anyone who asked. Freckles was just the only one to do so. He dropped down into the arena and went to the back door for only teachers and left. He found that Himiko was no longer there, so they must have taken her to the police.

When he found one of the pro-heroes there, they thanked him, but gave him bad news. She was unconscious in the police cruiser when the warp guy showered, Kurogiri or something. Ace sounded quite the sailor's mouth. "At least we know that they are still all injured from the burns. Himiko was crying about the pain of sitting on the seat in the car."

Ace said, "They still got away. They got away with trying to mess this up."

Orca Guy said, "They didn't mess it up because you noticed. You're embarrassing us pro-heroes, you know?" Ace chuckled and said he didn't mean to.

"I don't like how much fan mail I'm getting. It takes up too much space," he joked easily. The pro-hero laughed and said they should go see the students and congratulate them.

"You're bomb balls were quite helpful in making it more difficult for them and improving their reaction time. It was good, so thanks for that." Ace chuckled and said he felt like he was being sadistic by doing that. But then again, Eraser Heads had, multiple times, scared his students into making them think they would get expelled. So he wasn't that bad.

When they tried to get to the other students, they were already filing out. Ace walked to the side, and got many glares. Ace just grinned at them. The bombs made everything harder, like they were supposed to. He was glad he was included. Feeling welcome here felt really nice. Like how he felt on the Whitebeards. Accepted and loved.

Not loved here, but accepted and welcome. And they were treating him like an important figure. But he liked being surrounded by strong people, even if he couldn't battle them in this world. Being around tons of weak people made him uncomfortable. You'd think it would be the other way around. That he'd like feeling dominant. But being stronger than everyone else wasn't always fun.

Ace was with the crowd in the big room and watched the video of the training ground being blown up for the next exercise/test. This one, Ace didn't know how he would do. He saved the kids multiple times, but the people who were supposed to be saved now were strangers. Well, they were people in the practice, so saving them wasn't a big deal. But in a real disaster, he didn't know what he'd do anymore. He didn't know. Would he leave them, or help them out?

He just didn't know anymore.

Now this one, Ace had not helped Freckles with. Everyone had to do this alone. It was based on their personalities and attitude. He couldn't help but picture Bakugo leaving someone who said anything negative to him. They learned most about rescuing from class. Ace was a fighter, was already good at that, but not a rescuer. Often, his own fires had caused disasters. That was in the beginning. Well, that was all an accident and not many people died, if any. It was five years ago, so he didn't remember too well.

"Alright, let's get into position," Gang Orca said - oh he got his name right! They were to be the villains, and Ace was to go all out. Full force. Well, not hurt anyone, but his flames would be scary enough. He'd make it look like he could burn them while not having the flames harm anybody. It took a few moments before they were allowed to go out and be their best villains. Since class 1-A knew about his flames not being painful, they had some extra actors to play things up. Ace would wrap them in fire and they'd act like they were burning to death.

"There has been a large-scale terrorist attack by villains!" the speaker said.

Ace walked on top of the nearest broken building. "Yo! Little heroes," he said in a sadistic voice, popping his neck. "Oh, looks like you got plenty of my victims. You're ruining my fun!" he said, and lit himself on fire. "Oh, this'll be fun, don't you think so?!" and he sent a huge wave of fire at them.

"He's not gonna burn us!" Freckles said.

"Oh? Are you sure?" and he covered multiple actors in fire as they screamed bloody murder. "You think too highly of me, Izuku-chan," he said with a grin.

"Run! Rescue these people and run! I'll fight him off!" Freckles said, voice shaking. He was even scared of Ace during his battle alongside All Might.

"Deku-kun, you can't fight him off!" Uraraka said. Freckles replied that he had to. Ace ran at him, and grabbed him around the throat, lifting him up. "Deku-kun!"

Ace said, "You know, I don't like the way you're treating me, little hero. Who knows if I was a villain in my other life, huh?" This freaked him out and he tried to get out of his grip. He threw him down, making sure to avoid any rocks to hit his head on.

"F-Firefist! And Gang Orca!" students screamed. The "burn victims" were now playing dead or writhing pain, saying that this wasn't part of the plan.

"I didn't like that plan," Ace said, and stepped on one as he screamed from the fake burns. "Now, let's have some fun, shall we?" the pirate said. He unleashed fire all over the area as the kids started evacuating the area, carrying the actors as they screamed in fear. Nobody was fighting Ace, he looked like he was an actual villain. Maybe he was overdoing it. The fire licked at their feet, hot enough to be scary but not burn.

"He's really gonna kill us! Ahhh!" and people ran, nobody was fighting him. Nobody rescued the burn victims, who were clearly still alive but injured. They coated themselves on coal while no one was looking to make it look like they'd at least sustained some burns.

"Don't leave us! Help, we're still alive!" the actors sobbed. The wind guy, Ace didn't know most of their names, said that he'd take Ace on, and that they should go around him to get the burn victims. He hoped they'd all forgive him for this and not think he was a real villain. But he'd saved multiple people, so he clearly wasn't actually a villain.

Some terrified but determined students sprinted around Ace, dodging the flames licking some of the rocks still, and got the burn victims out. They were damn good actors. "So, little hero, you'll take me on? Will you be able to focus?" he asked, and looked past him at an old woman who was alone and calling for help. "It's nice, to see you heroes in distress!" he said, and unleashed a fire fist at the old woman, who was screaming in fear.

The wind guy blew the flames away. Ace let him. He looked up with appraisal. "This should be _fun,"_ and he went completely after him, barely missing him over and over. His coat was singed, but Ace still had full control.

"Are you really a villain!?" the wind guy shouted, blowing away the fire again. Ace went to fight physically, using haki to avoid any attacks and punch him in the gut. He was talking, that was minus ten points.

"Who knows?" he asked with another controlled punch to the gut. "Can you fight me and save these people at the same time? Which will you choose? Will you run with your tail between your legs? Or fight like a real hero?" Wind guy glared at him but moved to help the woman get up while also blowing the flames away enough for Ace to be paused.

He hurried to the next area. "Who's fucking next!?" he demanded. He picked up a slab of stone and was pretending to throw it before someone came behind him and then sent shockwaves into the ground, making Ace lose his footing for a moment.

"Run! I'll hold him off! Get those people to safety!" he shouted. Ace turned around and swung the slab of stone at him, having weakened it in the middle so it split before it actually hit him. He sent a vibration through the air that threw Ace away, keeping himself hard. But he landed by the people running.

"Where are you aiming!?" he roared and just barely missed them with the flames. Another shockwave was sent, but it hindered the movement of some of his classmates, trying to save the actors. "I thought you wanted to help," Ace mocked. The guy was looking unsure. He'd messed up multiple times. "If you aren't going to save them, well, I'm moving on _little hero."_

He blasted off and landed in a completely different area. He found one of the paid actors, who had a skin colored ring around his neck for this. He was screaming when Ace wrapped his hand around it and lifted him up. "Anyone gonna save this person?!" he shouted. People looked over. The man was screaming for help, that he trusted Ace. Man, not being well known was actually making things easier to be a villain.

"Oh no! We missed that person!" Minus ten points for all of them.

"Help!" Ace was still holding him by the ring around his neck, and the actor was pretending to choke. He heard people screaming for Gang Orca to stop Ace, who was going on a rampage and using real fire.

"Isn't that what villains do?!" he shouted, making his own attack. Finally somebody got the guy from his grasp, with a ton of hair coming off of his body.

He asked the person if he was okay, who shouted, "Minus ten points! I'm very injured, run away!"

"You're still pretending that this is a simulation?" he laughed evilly. Ace released flames and then had them slide up the man's hair on his legs. It didn't burn at all, but the sight of it was enough to make him pass out. The actor was the only other one there.

"You are an amazing actor!" he shouted. "Now, continue!" Ace nodded and laughed evilly, starting to pick up the slabs of stone and throw them at people when he knew they wouldn't be there.

"Stop, little heroes!" he shouted, jumping down and laughing. Someone shouted that Ace was way too overpowered and it was unfair. "Oh, poor babies. Aren't many villains stronger than the heroes?" he taunted, throwing another slab at them. He was very careful with where he was aiming, and hurt nobody.

Had anybody realized he wasn't actually burning any of them? Seemed like the answer was a no. Behind him he heard, "Villain! I won't let you get away with this!" and the wind was back, sending him flying, only he landed on his feet and then shot off, grinning maniacally as he rushed the teen challenging him a second time.

Ace looked over his shoulder. "Looks like you left those people unattended. That's good for me!" and he shot a plume of flame, only for it to be blown away. The kid was furious, his coat singed and his hat gone. His hair was a mess and he looked pissed. "Are heroes supposed to be so emotional? Don't you have people to save?!" and he punched him in the face, hard. Minus fifteen points.

The pretend villain stomped after him, arms coated in haki. "Save me! I'm scared! Mommy, daddy!" a child actor said. The wind guy shot another burst of wind at him before running to the kid and picking him up.

He moved on from that guy and headed to the next group. They had a whole camp, so they wouldn't be defending against Ace instead of taking any away. They needed to protect the camp from him.

"Aw, look, you made a little camp! Is it just for me to come and burn to nothing?!" he grinned. He saw Gang Orca give him an acknowledgment for how he was doing. He looked back to the camp and lit his arms on fire.

"Stop him!" someone screamed and multiple kids formed a line in front of the side facing him the most. Ace grinned and let a trail of fire bypass them and turn into a huge wave on the other side, looming over him. They were all losing ten points for taking too long. People were screaming and Ace said, "I thought heroes weren't supposed to lose their cool? Or are you all just wannabes?" he taunted.

Those who were facing him suddenly looked serious, and one of them was the acid girl from class 1-A. She shot a bunch of poison at him, and he let his arm get hit and released the flames. "Keep him busy while you treat them!" Iida said, just arriving with two people in his arms and jumping into action.

"I can't believe this! How could you be this way?!" Ace grabbed his pipe on his shoulders and melted it.

"Are you supposed to have a happy relationship with a villain? Are your emotions getting the better of you, little hero?" he taunted. Iida jumped away before going right back. He wasn't giving up even though his gear had been harmed. He let Iida get a kick in that sent him flying into a wall hard. He had covered his side in haki, so it didn't hurt.

"You got him!"

"No, wait!" Iida shouted. More and more people were coming, bringing people, trusting the fighters to take care of Ace. Ideally, they would have evacuated to somewhere else, but there were too many injured to carry all of them at once. Ace let loose an explosion of flame and broke apart the building he'd been thrown into.

He made sure nobody was there, so no one got hit. He threw a slab of stone high above their heads, in a deserted area with no one in close vicinity. It only got worse for them when Gang Orca showed up. By then many had shown up, and two came at him at once. Bakugo and Kirishima.

"Aw, the friendship duo," Ace said sweetly.

"Shut up, I'll kill you!" and Ace side stepped on a bomb. He grabbed the gauntlet and Bakugo blasted away. Kirishima went to hit him, but Ace slammed a fist into his back and threw him into the nearest wall. Ace was told to go hard on the better fighters. Recovery Girl would be on the scene soon. Kirishima groaned.

Ace was still facing Bakugo. "Do you not want me to break your precious gauntlet again?" he said sweetly. Bakugo rushed in again, threatening death. Ace grabbed a hold of the gauntlet and shattered it. He'd used the move multiple times and gripped his arm. But Bakugo knew that would happen and jerked away before he could light his sweat on fire. "Aren't you too emotional, Baku-chan?"

"Shut up! I'll kill you!" People were shouting at him to hurry it up as to slow path of flames as it got closer to the camp. Now others were putting the fire out, which he let them. Bakugo pressed a hand to his chest and put forth the strongest explosion Ace had seen. He turned himself intangible and the attack went straight through his chest.

Kirishima was behind him. "Do heroes hurt their own people?"

"No way, the explosion did nothing!" the kids started shouting. God they were all losing so many points.

"Watch it, Bakugo!" Kirishima shouted angrily. Finally class 1-A banded together while the others protected the camp and kept the fires out, now split between Gang Orca and Ace. He wasn't the only one going all out. He wondered if these kids would be alright after this. He was hit with poison again, then electricity, which didn't do much, and then a few punches that only went through him. He grabbed those ones' hands, but the others protected them.

A beam was shot at his back but Ace covered his back in haki and repelled it into the sky. "What is this guy?!"

"You sure are all getting distracted. Look at what's happened to those you saved?" he asked, seeing that some of the actors were now playing dead. They started swearing. Gang Orca was closest to the camp, and was being fought off himself. It was hard, since he was large and very strong and was able to shock and repel people with his power. He threw them away easily.

Freckles arrived with more people, and looked at Ace in horror before his resolve hardened and he aimed a kick at Ace' kidney. "Nice try, little hero," he said, and grabbed him, slow enough for someone else to act. Uraraka touched him and made him float. Ace could see from above Todoroki and wind guy fighting… what? Why now? But he noticed there were no more presences around, meaning everyone had been saved.

"You can't stop me even if I'm up here!" and he formed a huge ball of fire, bigger than the erected camp. But it dissipated when the call was made that all of the people were saved. He dropped down and grinned. "Man, your guys' teamwork at the end was great!" he praised, dusting himself off. Some of his clothes had been ruined.

Everyone stared at him. "You're so mean!" someone shouted.

"Are villains supposed to be nice?" he asked with a smile.

"You burned so many people!" a girl with spiky hair accused.

Ace cocked his head. "Did I? Are any of those people burnt? Are any of you burnt?" They all looked at one another and the victims who were supposedly burnt. He was accused of throwing rocks at them, which was dangerous. "Did I hit anybody?" he prompted. "Iida, I'm sorry about your costume."

He was shocked, and blinked twice before laughing. "Now I remember. How did we not think of it?! He's already done this before, class 1-A knew!" Ace put a finger up and said he was correct. Everyone looked shocked still, that Ace was pretending the whole time. Gang Orca walked over and said, "You play the best villain, Firefist." But it was in astonishment. Ace grinned and explained when he trained with his brother, he was always the villain character. So he had plenty of practice. "Well, do you remember your scores?" Ace nodded.

"Actors, Ace, let us go count the scores," Gang Orca said as students were still trying to get their bearings. Ace asked if he knew why Todoroki and someone else were fighting one another. "I'm not sure, but they have not passed. You have incredible control over your flames. I was worried at first, that you would burn people." Ace pointed out that he would never actually burn kids to death. "That's true."

They went into the teachers lounge and counted their points. Everyone who had let one of the actors die from not paying attention lost many points. Many had lost points against Ace.

After the scores were done, twenty people did not pass. Either for letting their charges die, making bad choices or reactions, or for fighting amongst themselves. Which was only Todoroki and wind guy. What were they thinking? They fought like they were enemies. Ace was disappointed in his fellow fire user.

When the scores were put out, there was a lot of hate sent at Ace's way. He scared them all enough to let their people die. So those 20 didn't pass mostly because they were afraid of him. Everybody else passed, no matter if they were scared. As long as they kept working even if they were scared, or kept trying to calm the scared actors, they passed. 80 who passed was pretty good, according to Gang Orca. "There's always hate sent towards the reason somebody has failed, don't take it personally."

Ace wondered if he'd gone overboard. "I think you did just fine. Considering you fought the League of Villains while under the pressure of All For One, you can definitely be good at playing villain. And they need experience. After all, there are terrifying villains out there. So, nice job Firefist." Ace thanked him and said he wished he could give points. "You didn't fail many."

"I took points from the ones who left those to 'die' to fight me after they knew it was a losing battle. And points off of those that let their survivors die. I really think I might have gone too far."

Ace was glad that nobody from U.A. failed because of him, so he wouldn't get hate from them since he saw them every day. Oh, and Bakugo failed, but apparently it was because his attitude was so bad.

"Even if you did go too hard, they know what fighting a villain is like now. The fear that comes with it. You purposely didn't hurt anybody, but scared them. Even what you said is like a villain. The monologues."

Ace nodded, knowing monologues were the most annoying thing with enemies. "I don't understand why they talk instead of fight. Unless they're taunting, like I was."

"Who knows?"

* * *

**So Ace went full on villain on them, but didn't harm anyone. Then he fucked up the League of Villains again. I honestly really dislike them and I wished that there were more villains in MHA, so I like ruining them and their plans. See you next week!**


	19. More Missions

#### purpleOPlovers: Thank you! Yeah, rude comments are annoying and sometimes really mean. When I was newer to posting stories a few years ago, I got a review that was utterly crushing. I cried over it. But I have thicker skin now. I'm no much as hurt by them any more but just irritated or angry. Not that angry is better than sad, but still. And I'm glad you like my stories. 

#### Shisukii: Blackbeard was killed two years ago, when Ace was 20. So that's why Thatch is still alive. He wasn't killed. The fat piano mouth man didn't even get to get to the fruit. Lol failure. 

**Beetpiece: <(￣︶￣)>**

**Adamari2001: Thank you! Yeah, it was on ff.net. It is indeed more toxic. I think I was only good at describing the fight scenes becasue I had some outline to follow. What happened in MHA story line. I just beefed it up with Ace being there. Or maybe I've gotten better at fight scenes on my own, who knows? And I don't think Toga will ever change. She's damn crazy. She'll change after she goes to jail some day.**

**Guest 3: Ace is def a good actor. And I have some fics of my own where Marco is a jerk lol. Then there is PULSE by Otalu_Girl2176 where Marco is cruel at first.**

**An interested reader: Thanks! Yeah, I wish I could delete comments that aren't guests, or block guests who are spamming. FF.net is definitely inferior to ao3 in many ways. It's not very user friendly to writers in some things. And Ace enjoyed it, but not everyone else did lol.**

**Trying_To_Be_Happy: Do it! I'd love to see fanart! I've been drawing full body Ace drawings, trying to get better at male bodies. I think they're going well. But I'd love to see fanart!**

#### Carimes_treehouse: Izo knows what's up lol. 

* * *

**More Mirio and Ace time! And some dark parts in this chapter, too. Poor fluffy Mirio. :( Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace left after that, hurrying to Nighteye's to finally work again. He opened the door and ran in, booted feet making clacking noises before he stopped in front of the boss's desk. "Hello, Ace. It's good to see you again." Ace smiled and then bowed, apologizing for the delay. "It is fine. Working as a hero when not mentally or emotionally healthy would not be good. I understand, believe me."

Ace's face was red, but it calmed. Mirio walked in and said, "Ace! You're back! Patrols have been so boring without you. And we finally got to go out of the city, too." Ace smiled and said it was good to be back. "So, how did the provisional license test go?" Ace frowned, making Mirio frown and Nighteye stop typing.

"A villain got in. Impersonating a student," Ace replied. Both other men looked shocked and then angry. "I found her and got her out, but she got away in the police cruiser. Luckily, she was still injured badly. So the rest of them must be as well. But the rest was fun. Made up for it a bit."

Mirio said, "Oh yeah! You got to play the villain. How'd that go?" Ace chuckled but answered honestly.

"Well, I may have gone a little too hard. Wouldn't be surprised if there was some emotional trauma to be honest. What, I got too into character. I was great at it though. Second time I played the villain. We even had the actors playing victims shout at me stuff like 'this wasn't the plan' and 'we trusted you'.

"Thanks to me, many people failed. They were too scared to do anything and their survivors died on them." Nighteye laughed.

"Well, it sounds like it was a realistic simulation. So I commend you on that. It is better to go overboard than to leave the students with an unrealistic expectation of villains. Not all of them are weak." Ace and Mirio nodded. They were going on a patrol, and Ace was forced to have a walkie talkie to the agency so he could communicate if Mirio couldn't.

He grudgingly accepted it, and he and Mirio left, walking to the bullet train. Ace was looking at the lights of the city from the window. "You know, one of the worst parts about the world for me is that you can barely see the stars." Mirio nodded, remembering that Ace lived on a ship, so he saw the stars every night. "The stars are great to look at. It's a bummer I can't here."

"So, how did your time go back home?" Mirio asked, almost hesitantly. Ace turned to him and beamed, not wanting him to worry.

"It went well. I was happy. Unlike last time. The two weeks here with Marco really fixed me up. I've accepted that this might end up being my life. The cave plan might not work, might not even be there anymore," Ace explained. "I told Pops to fire me from my position if I become that messed up again."

Mirio was shocked. "Isn't that going a bit too far, Ace? You didn't mean to be so upset," he said slowly. Ace made eye contact with him and replied.

"If Nighteye shrugged off his responsibilities to cry and become an alcoholic, shouting at his fellow workers, would he still be suitable for the job? Remember, I'm in a place of power back home. I should not be allowed to be like that when my division needs me." Mirio looked sad, but understood. It was true that a leader can't act like that without repercussions. "I'm just grateful I have a second chance, y'know? My only other chance and I won't fuck it up." Then he smiled, lifting the mood.

When they arrived at their destination, it was another stealth mission. Ace was the one to make sure nobody was in the building Mirio was entering, so it was safe for him to go in through the walls and meet no enemies.

He opened the door from the inside and let Ace in. They quietly searched the jewelry shop for any unusual crystals. There was a dangerous villain who could manipulate sediments, and many had reported seeing him here.

They already knew his schedule based on Bubble Girl and her partner patrolling. So they knew he was from this building, but they had to have concrete evidence. "Found one," Ace said, holding up an unusual shaped crystal that was fused with granite, limestone and sandstone. So, something that was impossible in nature.

They were both wearing gloves so their fingerprints wouldn't be there when they took it in. The police weren't involved because they were too obvious. Too noisy and predictable. Nobody would expect two non professionals to be the ones to sneak in. Plus, the police would use force to get inside.

If the villain wasn't there, he wouldn't return as he would know his location was compromised. They went inside soundlessly and didn't leave a trace that they were there. And Ace made sure to pick from the cup of many of them instead of one from the jewelry case. So the man wouldn't miss one being missing, along with one tool he used to cut through the rock. It should have his fingerprint.

Quirks always had weaknesses. This guy's was that he lost the strength to contort or take apart the more he used his power in one sitting. So he had to have tools to use once his power was depleted. They heard a jingle of keys and Mirio hurried out the wall. Ace looked up and he got the idea.

He hurried up the stairs as fire to not make footsteps and opened a window, climbing out and then closing it before dropping down for Mirio to catch him so there was no risk of a sound coming from Ace's landing. Using flames would have gotten attention.

Ace made sure that the area was clear and the villain away from any doors and windows before they hurried away. The mission was a success. They were a great team. The one thing, well one of the main things, that he didn't want to leave behind was his friendship with Mirio. And his friendship with All Might. Those were the things that mattered to him most in this world.

But, if he could… he would leave. He still wanted to go back to normal. He didn't know if he'd ever want to stay how this was. Going back and forth between two very different worlds. He accepted it, but that didn't mean he wanted it.

More professional heroes took their evidence and acted on it, arresting the man easily once they knew where he was for sure. They couldn't barge in without a warrant since they had no definitive proof that it was him. Only a strong hunch. But they needed proof, and Ace and Mirio got it for them. Succeeding was a good way to end the night.

The next morning, all of the students were gathered, with the teachers in front. Ace hadn't been sure where to stand until All Might indicated that he stand near him. This was the first time he was in front of the whole school, and made himself look bored.

To say Nezu didn't have a way with words was an understatement. Ace was proud of himself not laughing about how weird he was talking. About human fur and other odd things before he finally got on topic, switching from strangeness to depressing, talking about All Might losing and all of the dark changes, what they'd gone through at the summer camp. Then he got to the real subject: hero internships. Like what Ace was doing.

He wondered if anyone would go to the Nighteye's Agency. He was expecting Mirio would introduce himself soon enough. He hoped he didn't get naked in front of all of the students. He had told Ace it was lucky he hadn't accidentally gone nude when they first met.

Ace was confused to say the least, and a little horrified until Mirio explained what he meant. Sometimes his clothes slip through him when he used his powers. Luckily, that had never happened with Ace around. It would be weird and awkward.

Back at home, they shared the main bathtubs, so were used to seeing other naked dudes. But they were his brothers. Didn't make it not uncomfortable, but there it wasn't strange. In this world, people didn't really bathe together besides when they went to hot springs, where they wear towels around their waists. Another difference in the world, though not a big one.

Nezu's topic changed a bit again to being inspirational and emotional. About how all of them, no matter which course they were in, were all new members of society. And things would change with them.

He finally looked to the right and saw Mirio and the two other members of the school's "big 3". He'd never actually met them since Ace had to work for the school and then go to his part-time "job". It didn't feel like an internship to him. Mirio smiled at him and Ace smiled back before going back to his neutral, serious look. Standing up straight and looking ahead, though his body looked relaxed, one hand in his pocket.

After his performance of a very convincing villain, he did his best to look harmless around the students. And he hadn't missed the expressions of either slight fear or awe when he ran into other students on campus. Not even just those in the hero courses. Class 1-A moved past it quickly (besides Mineta, who was terrified), even if Bakugo was still pissed about not passing and Ace being relatively unharmed by him. And breaking his gauntlet _again._

After the students were sent back to class, Ace stayed with All Might. "You okay?"

"Yeah. I just wish I could be more than I am now." He looked at his hands. "I need to be like you and accept the reality."

"And beef up."

"And beef up," he said, sounding a bit more upbeat. Ace asked where Freckles and Bakugo had gone. "They had an impromptu battle last night, and are on house arrest for now." Ace asked what it was about. "It's more personal to them, and I doubt young Bakugo would want you knowing."

"Oh, okay," Ace said easily. "When will Mirio meet the class1-A?"

"That's right, you've become good friends with him. It depends when he wants to come. He's very strong. One of the strongest in our school. Enrolled in it, so not including you." Ace laughed.

"They complained that I was too overpowered when I was playing the perfect villain," he said in amusement. It was funny but seemed to be true as well, at least in this world where haki doesn't even exist.

All Might chuckled, and said, "I've heard that many times, before. I'd get used to it once you're back in the spotlight again. For whatever reason it might be. Has the fan mail slowed?" Ace nodded. There wasn't nearly as much anymore. Ace asked when his new room would be ready, trying to hide the excitement in his voice.

"It is ready now. It has a new bed, so you just need to carry your belongings to there. It is ready whenever you want it," All Might said with a smile.

"Yes!" Ace said excitedly. "But I have to get to work, so I'll do it after I'm back," he swore. "See you later, All Might!" and he hurried off, in a wonderful mood, as he headed to work. Class was already over for Ace, the two courses he helped with during the day, so he was heading to Nighteye's. He'd be there before Mirio would be.

He was very familiar with Nighteye. He couldn't help it, he's always overly friendly with superiors. "Yo, Sir, how are you doing?"

"I'm doing well. You and Mirio were instrumental for Diamond Grinder. You're both being praised highly in the hero community," he said in his usual dull voice. But it was easy to tell when he was happy. At least for those who knew him better. Ace grinned.

He said, "We make a good team. I know when anybody is around so he can sneak into places safely. It's almost always a success," he added happily. "Now, is there any paperwork I can do for you while Mirio is still at school?"

Nighteye nodded, and pointed to a tall stack of paper. Ace took the pile without a word and got to work on them. "You sure are responsible, Ace."

Ace smiled and replied, "Well, I have to be. I'm a leader at home, responsibility is important. But I'm also not the highest superior, so I can take orders just fine. I'm the middle man." Nighteye admitted that was true. Then he asked about the hero internships. "Oh yeah, it was announced today, but wasn't really explained. What is it anyways?"

He worked as Nighteye did, though they were both carrying on conversations. "It's pretty self-explanatory. A student works as an intern for hero agencies. They have to make time to do it outside of school, unlike the first internship that was working under a certain hero or heroes. This internship is more long term."

Ace said, "So that's what Mirio is? He's still a student." Nighteye said that was correct.

"Mirio is more responsible than many of my past or current sidekicks and employees. I don't feel he is an intern. More like you, as a part-time job. And he always brings cheer to everyone. Rarely is that young man not smiling," the boss said with a fond voice.

"Do you think anyone will come to you?" he wondered, stamping a paper for approval based on Nighteye's notes.

"I'm not sure. Perhaps. They will have to meet my expectations, though. You were an exception due to your familiarity with All Might. I was biased at first, but you've grown on both me and Mirio. He's happy patrolling with you but also gets the job done." Ace smiled and thanked him. They were quiet for a bit more before Mirio walked in, and said hello before going to change into his hero costume.

"Yo, Ace! You looked so uncomfortable in front of the school," he said with a laugh, and not in a mean spirited way.

Ace huffed. "I'm in front of a bunch of kids, who many consider me a villain in disguise. I have to look relaxed and calm. I went overboard on my villain impersonation and it's biting me in the butt," he said. Mirio chuckled, but said he felt sympathy for him. "Yeah I can't see you ever being seen as a villain. More like a marshmallow. All fluffy and innocent." Mirio frowned about that, saying he was capable. "A capable marshmallow. Is that better?"

Nighteye shook his head and interrupted the banter. "Remember you two, this is your job," he reprimanded, though it wasn't too harsh. He liked laughter in the agency after all, and Mirio and Ace contributed a lot to it.

"Sorry, sir," both of them replied.

"Alright, there's a new mission I'd like you two to look into," he began. "Another stealth one since you two are the most favored in the professional hero society."

Not an hour later he and Mirio were getting off of a bus and heading into a rich part of the city. It wasn't where you would usually stealth, so this was new and interesting. Ace was wearing nice clothes, it was awful. "God, how does anybody wear a shirt?" he hissed, irritated he had to wear one in the first place. Mirio was also wearing nice clothes. It really was an undercover mission. They couldn't be known if they were heroes.

There were whispers of a villain who could kidnap children and use their youth to grow organic objects. Like marijuana, the main drug that was being grown in mass. All of that money had gotten the suspected villain a nice lifestyle, and so he lived in the rich area. It was late out, and they were walking in the park area behind the houses. It was a good place to enter or spy from.

Both of them were pretending to just converse about normal things, but were keeping an eye out. Ace was using his haki while Mirio watched for any change in his expression that they might be being watched. But he stopped and said, "We're clear." Ace picked up a small rock and threw it expertly at the street lamp, shutting it off.

"Nice," Mirio said. They both snuck in through the high fence, Mirio walking through it while Ace jumped over the side. To stay silent Mirio always caught him. Any sound could mess it up. "Nobody inside?" Ace shook his head. "Then it might be the wrong place. Shouldn't there be many presences?"

Ace froze, and put his hand on Mirio's shoulder. "You need to be prepared for the worst case scenario," he said quietly. If this was the right place, and there were no presences, then the children might not be all there. They could be dead, which was why Ace felt no presence. Mirio frowned deeply but nodded.

He walked through the wall and opened the sliding glass door for Ace to walk through. They inspected the house, touching nothing. Everything looked in order except for the overwhelming stench of weed.

Ace was the first to find the cellar door, under a rug. It was locked, though, and he didn't want to make any show that they had been there. Mirio said he'd go under and then open it from the bottom. "No good, it needs a key to get out or get in."

"I want to try something," Ace said. There was a small hole in it, about the side of his pointer finger. "Grab onto my finger and pull as hard as your can, okay?"

"Okay."

"Now," and Ace changed all of himself into flame except his finger that was covered in haki. He ended up being pulled through, and was gasping, trying to catch his breath. "Yes, it worked," he said. They both faced the dark staircase below. Ace went first with his flames lighting it. The basement went very deep.

When they finally came into the open, they faced a tragic scene. Lifeless children. They weren't dead. Just sick and grey and their eyes were fogged over. It stunk in there, too. They were in chains. Ace walked to the closest and touched her face. "It's cold," he said sadly. He closed her eyes.

He pretended not to hear Mirio being sick behind him. He was a great hero and person, but Ace had been telling the truth. He was a marshmallow. Ace wasn't. He'd seen a lot of stuff, so dead children like this wasn't new. "We need to call the authorities," Ace said quietly.

He took the phone from his patrol partner and called 911, explaining where they were and what had happened. He gave his and Mirio's license numbers for the agency so it wouldn't be seen as a break in. He punched open the trap door and pushed Mirio out. "If we had caught him sooner-"

" _Don't_ do that. There are no what-ifs in this. This case only just got reported to the heroes. If they had reported it sooner, then maybe we could have averted it. But just know this won't happen to anymore children," Ace said, a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Now why don't we go outside and wait for the authorities?"

Mirio nodded, biting his lip. Ace pretended he didn't see the tears. That night was some sort of a success, but not the one anybody wanted. The villain was captured and brought to prison with no due process as he'd admitted to doing it. They both walked back to campus silently. It wasn't a good way to end the night. Hopefully they'd bounce back by tomorrow.

Ace, even though he was tired and sad, moved his things to his new room. It was much bigger and had carpet. Nice carpet. He put the dresser and trunk against the wall and then flopped onto the bed that already had sheets. He put his clothes in the closet built into the wall and went to the bathroom to take a bath.

He hadn't taken a bath since arriving, not wanting to be caught in the water, drowning or already drowned. Nobody could know about his one weakness. He sunk into the warm water and froze. Something wasn't right. He wasn't lethargic. He lit his palms on fire and the tub steamed. His eyes grew wide and he submerged himself completely with his head under the water. He heated the bathwater up to make it boiling.

The devil fruit user pulled himself back up. He couldn't drown. But… this was water. He knew it was water as he drank it, it came from the sky as rain, there were streams and an ocean. He was numb as he got out of the tub, not even washing himself, and looked in the mirror. There was no sea stone here. No haki. And he was immune to water. He gripped the counter tightly. It was bothering him when it shouldn't. Shouldn't he be happy he was pretty much invincible?

He worried, though. Was he still a devil fruit user? He had all of his powers and they grew stronger while here even just by a little. He put on underwear and went to bed, not wanting to think about the confusion and shock he was in. What if he felt weak back home, with all of those dangers? He could only hope he didn't get used to this. But why was he prioritizing his time here over home?

It was the same time for both. He'd spend two weeks, fifteen days, in one world, and then the same in the other. It was just, his time at home felt so much shorter. It was throwing him off. But he'd be fine. If he was good at anything, it was adapting to the situation. Just one more thing to adapt to.

* * *

**Lol Ace is even MORE overpowered! Though not for that long... DON DON DON!**


	20. Introductions and Internships

#### An interested reader: Who knows? Only four more chapters, so not too long to see. lol imagine him being allergic to to fizzy water or something? Not sea water or fresh water. 

**Adamari2001: Hmmm, I wonder what happens? Mwahaha, it's bad, though. So look forward to that! Hehehe.**

**Beetpiece: Hurray for current plumbing! Wait, would it be called plumbing, filtering out water like that?**

#### KamandiLyon: You're very welcome! 

* * *

**Only 4 chapters left for this! Nearing the end here. Enjoy~**

* * *

Mirio had contacted him in the morning that he'd be introducing themselves to 1-A that day and to meet at the gamma gym. Well, one of the gyms, he never remembered. He was sitting on the roof, waiting patiently. He hoped his friend was okay after last night. Ace had been saddened, but had seen much worse. Mirio probably had never been around deceased kids. What a terrible experience for him.

The class came over finally, all in their gym outfits, with Mirio in his own. Ace was in his regular shorts, boots and hat. He said nothing but gave a thumbs up to Mirio, who returned it. "You know him?" Freckles asked hesitantly.

"Yes! We're good friends and work together at Sir Nighteye's agency! We solve crimes together," he said cheerfully. He sounded perfectly fine, but was he? Ace saw zero hint of sadness. He was always looking forward to tomorrow. Maybe he'd put it behind him already, or had blocked it out emotionally.

"It's weird thinking of Ace-san outside of school," Iida said.

Ace called down, "I may live on campus, but it's not my entire life here." He said nothing else as the kids watched Mirio stretch. They we're probably worried about what was going to happen. They didn't know his quirk, only that he was one of the top three strongest students in the whole school. The fire user watched in interest, wondering what would happen.

The young man then looked down and away from where he was sitting on the roof. Amajiki was there, not looking at anybody and muttering under his breath. Well, looks like Mirio described him perfectly.

Ace chuckled when the students started telling Mirio not to go easy on them. Well, he wouldn't have even if they asked. But since they did, there was no way they could complain. Mirio accepted it just fine, telling them to come at him with full force. From anywhere, anytime. It threw the students off.

Mineta started mumbling. "Wait, if he works with Ace, then he's strong too! We're screwed!" he lamented. Jiro told him to shut up. "You didn't see him!" he insisted, still talking about the provisional license exam. Ace sighed, but said nothing. Mirio just looked at them pleasantly, waiting for anyone to strike.

Finally they did. And Ace sighed, putting his hand to his forehead. Like he'd told him happened sometimes, Mirio's clothes slipped off. Not exactly a good first impression. The girls started screaming and Ace held in laughter at their reaction. But the pants were on and Freckles attacked him full force. His leg went right through Mirio's head, who never lost the pleasant smile of a marshmallow.

Then more attacked when he asked Freckles a question, but they all went right through his body. Ace saw him drop into the ground, feeling his presence move to behind them all before he jumped out, naked once again, and went after everyone in quick succession, taking them all out with a painful punch to the gut.

He was really trying to make a first impression. Even Ace rarely punched them that hard when they were training. He wasn't going easy on any of them, like Ace rarely did with his haki. He just knew who to go soft on and who would be angry if he didn't go hard on.

"That's it or the long distance fighters!" he said, a hint of determination in his voice. Those he had attacked in only a couple seconds couldn't even get up off the floor. Half of them were out in an instant. "All those that are left are the short distance fighters, right?!"

The remaining students listened to Freckles as he made a plan. Mirio was unbothered and felt no threat from them. They didn't understand his power yet. They just thought he could warp and that was all. They should have realized after that show he did that he wasn't only strong with a quirk. Even if he didn't have his neat quirk, he'd still be able to beat them. There was no magic power with his punches, only trained strength.

He seemed to fall into the floor, pants gone again (really? Are you serious Mirio?) and then popped out behind Freckles, who seemed to be anticipating that. He thought he had the upper hand with a kick, only his leg and body slid right trouble the upperclassman, who shouted, "Blinder touch eyeball crush!" and put his hand through Freckles' face, making him close his eyes to protect them from Mirio's feint. It did nothing but he then went under the kid and punched the stomach again, giving him the same rough treatment he had everybody else.

Everybody was down in an instant. And somehow, the pants were back on. "I tried to make it so you wouldn't see my willy, sorry girls!" Ace snickered, but had stayed quiet the whole time. It wasn't his class, he wasn't working with the students, he was just observing. "So, you know now? You think my quirk is strong?" he asked, fully dressed now.

The students started shouting about how strong and overpowered he was, comparing him to Ace's monster strength. Mirio offered to explain before Hado interrupted and asked if she could explain before just saying it without a response. "His quirk is permeation!" When he explained the rest, Hado pouted. The other two of the "big 3" were exactly how Mirio talked about them.

He explained his "warp" power simply, how he fell into the ground but got repelled back up. When he was told, again, that his quirk was strong, he said, "No, that's not it. I made it _into_ a strong quirk." Ace couldn't really understand why you would tell anyone you don't trust your weaknesses, but Mirio said this, "When I activate my quirk, I can't take in any oxygen. The air would go right through me, wouldn't it? In the same way vibrations go in my eardrums, and light goes through my retinas. I can go through anything, which means I can't feel anything. I just fall, even if I don't have mass. That's all it is. Does that make sense?"

"Oh, so you're _not_ invincible like Ace!" Mineta said in relief. Ace didn't know why that mattered. Maybe so he thought Ace was only strong because he didn't have a quirk, but a devil fruit, so nobody else could be as strong as him. It was a flawed thought process.

"Nope!" Mirio said cheerfully. Then he continued, "So if I want to go through a wall, I activate everything but one leg then I release the other leg and then land on it and activate my other leg and go through. Even for a simple action like that, there are a bunch of steps involved, right?

"As expected, I was always behind. In no time I'd dropped to dead last. I dropped my clothes, too." Well, at least he'd explained that much. The reason he was naked. "In order to get to the top with this quirk, I couldn't just stay behind. Predictions! I had to think faster than those around me! Sometimes I had to be tricky, and above all, I had to predict what would happen! And what made those predictions possible was experience! I built my predictions on what I knew. It ended up being kinda long but that's why I wanted to fight you all! I wanted to show you through experience instead of just words.

"In our hero's internship, we're not guests! We're treated as one of the sidekicks and pros! That's really scary, though. Pros will sometimes end up… seeing people die," he just barely made a pause before being cheery again. So, he hadn't moved past it completely. Of course not, nobody moves passed seeing dead children instantly. "But those scary and painful things you'll go through, all of those are first rate experiences you wouldn't be able to have at school.

"I changed the experience I got during my work studies into power and took the top spot! That's why I think it's something you should do even if you're scared, first years!"

Ace clapped first and everyone else followed. Ace sent him another thumbs up. Eraser Head called them to leave. Ace dropped down to walk after Mirio, and grabbed his shoulder. "Are you okay?" he asked sincerely. The other top two looked curious.

"I'll be fine, don't worry!" Mirio said cheerily. Ace could tell it was a facade, but said nothing. "I'll see you later, Ace!" The older man nodded. He would be introduced to the other two when they weren't heading back to class.

While Mirio was clearly bothered by something, Ace was another. There was a lake somewhere on campus where they practiced any water rescues. He had to know, so he walked to that area, and took off his shorts, leaving his boxers on. He slowly walked deeper into the water before he sat down. No weakness.

He inched his way deeper until he was submerged but his face. He didn't feel weak, even though he was a bit afraid. He used his devil fruit, making the water around him superheated and having steam erupt. He wasn't drowning. Ace _wasn't drowning._ He hadn't swam in five years!

He waded in more, tempting fate for him to die out there, all alone. But he swam to the other side of the shallow area. He got out and backed away, looking at his hands. He clamped his mouth shut and dried himself off before going back to head to work. He was distracted the whole time. When he arrived, he failed to greet Nighteye at the door.

"Ace?" the boss asked when he saw the young man looking so confused, lost, and quiet. "Are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," Ace replied shakily. Out of everything, this was freaking him out. Why did this world's water not make him drown? What was the point? He couldn't let himself think he was invincible. There were still infinite quirks out there that could harm him. He had to be kept on his toes. Yes, he didn't have his main three weaknesses, any devil fruit user's weaknesses. But he was not invincible. "Sorry, I found something out and it freaked me a bit. I don't mean to space out."

Nighteye nodded and did not press. Instead, he asked, "Do you know how Mirio is doing? After yesterday?" Ace looked down with a frown.

"I think he's not okay, but needs to look cheery for everyone else. It really bothered him, of course it would," Ace replied. Nighteye asked if it bothered him. "It wasn't anything new. Still horrible, but I've seen dead children many times before. And these ones at least looked like they were sleeping," he answered honestly.

"Ace, what kinds of things have you seen?" Nighteye asked in concern, almost. Ace was honest, though. None of this information would paint him badly, as he didn't do most of these things. He'd just unfortunately seen them.

He looked at his hands and began. "Dead people. Mangled, bloody, suicide, starvation. I've seen countless murders since I was a kid. Villages burnt to the ground, people laughing around their kills. I've seen a lot, and so that's why it didn't hit me as hard as Mirio. I've seen so much worse, I think some things have dulled for me." He looked up and saw Nighteye looking horrified.

"And you're only 22, right?" Ace nodded.

He gave a sad smile. "I keep saying it: my world isn't always pretty."

"You've probably seen more than many pro-heroes, and I'm so sorry for that, Ace," Nighteye said sincerely. Ace just gave him a smile, saying there was nothing he could do to change it. It would forever be in his memories. He'd never forget it. He didn't want to, it made him who he was now.

He finished with, "If I am not living that life, and haven't for my whole life, then I wouldn't be the real me I am today." Nighteye looked at him strangely at the wording, but didn't ask. Ace was glad, he didn't want to explain how he felt like two different people slowly being peeled apart. He worked with his boss about how to plan the next mission.

When Mirio came by, he walked straight into the locker room to change. When he came back, he had a forced smile. "Good day, sir!"

"Good afternoon, Mirio. I heard you beat up your underclassmen today," he said conversationally. Ace was glad he didn't bring up the night before. Mirio laughed, and said they were all interesting.

Ace asked, "Who did you think was the strongest?" He was curious.

"Hmm, I wasn't there long enough to see who was strongest, it was over so soon! I don't have haki, I need to learn from experience. But a smart one was the boy with green hair and freckles. He predicted where I would appear," he explained.

Ace nodded. "Freckles is probably the smartest of the class. At least in battle strategies. He works harder than the others most times. I've helped train him a couple of times. What? It's not just him. If anybody else asked I would help them if I had time," he explained. "Oh, his name is Midoriya Izuku. I just call him Freckles since it's easier."

Bubble Girl suddenly burst in. "Sir! The young master behind the crimes lately, Overhaul, is he's on the move." Ace and Mirio exchanged serious glances.

"What about the Shie Hassaiki?"

"It appears they've had contact with the League of Villains!"

-x-

"I'm so sick of the League of Villains. Why can't they just crawl back into the dumpster they seemed to have come from?" Ace grumbled. "And now they're recruiting even more villains. Nighteye told us we're not doing anything yet since we don't have enough information. But shouldn't we be scoping, trying to find them?"

Mirio shook his head. "I doubt they'd let us even take part in something of this magnitude. His quirk is disturbing. It might even work on you. You're not invincible," he said and then Ace stopped walking, looking down. They were supposed to be on patrol again, with no real mission scheduled, but Ace was distracted. "What's wrong? Is it about last night? I'm bothered, too."

Ace felt guilty for saying that wasn't it. "You know how I said devil fruit users drown and can't swim?" Mirio nodded. "I swam last night. And I didn't drown. I'm just confused. And a little scared."

But Mirio was angry. "You went on a swim by yourself?!"

Ace recoiled. "I had to know as soon as possible!" he argued. Mirio was angry at the recklessness, and Ace could see where he was coming from. "But I'm just so confused. None of my known weaknesses are in this world. I… am I invincible? But there are so many quirks that might work against me. I don't want to turn reckless, thinking I'm invincible."

Mirio said, "I promise I'll stop you if you start to become more reckless. I'm not gonna let you get yourself hurt or killed by being too confident." Ace pointed out that he sometimes didn't even realize when he got too confident, or better a word was cocky. Ace could be really cocky, even if it was less in this world due to expectations.

"Is that why you want to go after Overhaul? Because you think you'll be fine against him? You're right, we don't know how many quirks work against haki or the flames," Mirio insisted. Ace nodded. That was why he felt like going after him without all the information. "I won't let you. Not unless we have permission."

Ace nodded, knowing he'd stop him. "If I do think like that, or start to talk about me going off on my own, tell someone who can stop me," he said, in a determined voice. He wouldn't mess this up. He was already in a precarious position. He wasn't an official anything but was still treated like a hero.

"I will. And if I ever get reckless, you stop me." Ace promised.

"That's what friends are for, right?"

"Exactly." Then his face turned a bit sad. Ace asked what was wrong. They were still not walking, standing at a deserted corner of a street. "I will miss you if you end up leaving for good." Ace frowned. He'd miss Mirio, too. "Do you think you'd stay like this by choice?" he asked slowly, seeming afraid by the answer.

Ace looked at his hands. "I don't know anymore. It's hard, being with my family only half the time. Marco's doing an experiment. He measured my nails and hair to see if my body actually ages here. And I'm afraid sometimes that I'll go back home, and 100 years will have passed and everyone is dead. That's my worst nightmare," he confessed. "There are some things I would miss in this world. Like you and All Might and some of my life here. I don't know."

Mirio was frowning sadly. "How much longer until you reach that island?"

"If everything goes right, then three weeks. But I'm not getting my hopes up anymore. I can't. I have to think that this is permanent. The New World is messed up and makes no sense. Entire islands have sunk or somehow changed positions. It could have moved somewhere and we have no idea where.

"Or the plan just wouldn't work at all. Maybe the cave can't be destroyed, or doing anything would do jack shit, or make things worse." He looked up at the blue sky. "I'm confused," he finished simply.

Mirio was still frowning. Then he smiled. "Well, let's make the most of the time you have left here. It's very different from your other life, after all. You won't get a second chance to be in another world. Probably. Maybe?" he wondered. Ace said it was more like a maybe.

They started walking again, keeping a look out for anyone suspicious or familiar from the list of villains they carried around. When they arrived at an alleyway, Ace froze, putting his hand out and stopping Mirio, who stayed silent and his face was serious. Ace felt a disturbing presence in that alleyway. Not nearly as bad as One For All, but almost as bad as Hand-Guy. They couldn't deal with it with no back up.

He felt like a coward, but they walked a bit away from it. "There's a powerful presence in the alleyway. Multiple people, but one is dangerous, I don't know who it is, but we can't safely take them successfully. Let's report a dangerous presence here. I think we should get away," Ace explained. Mirio nodded, trusting his haki. It hadn't been wrong so far.

"Oh, shit," Ace whispered. "Call the police, one of their presences just disappeared." Mirio knew what that meant. Somebody had died. He brought out his phone and called the police. For things like this, it wasn't a hero's job. It was the police who handled normal criminal matters. The person who died had been stabbed, Ace had sensed the movement of someone thrusting their hand to the other guy.

The two of them headed to a more busy area. "At least we got something," Ace said with a sigh. He and Mirio were about to go the other way when a little boy ran up to Ace. "Uh, can I help you?" he asked awkwardly.

"Can I have your autograph! You're super cool! You fought with All Might like 'whoosh!' and 'bam!'," the kid said. Looked around eight or so. He already had a pen and paper ready. Ace took it, but didn't know what to write. For some reason he didn't want to write his name or epithet. So he drew the Whitebeard mark with flames on it. "That's not your name," the kid said curiously.

"It's not my name, but it's my mark. See?" Ace asked, turning so his back tattoo was visible.

"Cool! Thanks, Firefist!" and the kid ran off back to his mom. Mirio laughed at Ace's dumbfounded face. Ace scowled at Mirio.

He said, "It's not like wanted pirates are used to giving their signature." Mirio asked why he'd used the mark instead of his name. "My mark means more to me than my name." Mirio's eyes widened and he smile.

"You have one nice family if their symbol means more to you than yourself." Ace pointed out that it was being with his family who had shaped him into what he felt was his best self. He didn't say it, but he was sure Mirio knew. Ace would choose his family over him. And he knew Mirio wouldn't take it personally. He knew enough about Ace's real life to know his family meant everything to him.

-x-

Ace was irritated that they hadn't been allowed to really know anything about the situation with Overhaul, but he tried not to focus on that. There had to be reasons… There were reasons, Ace just didn't know. Maybe they thought the guy was too strong and they needed the pros.

But Nighteye knew that if it was a stealth mission or at least used any stealth tactics, then Mirio and Ace would be the best for that job, getting in and out safely. And now that Ace knew he could be pulled through tight spaces as fire, it made his getting inside safely easier as well.

Freckles was going to try to apply to the Nighteye agency, and Ace wondered how he'd do. Ace wouldn't be his mentor or guide here, it would all be Nighteye or Mirio. Ace just tagged along on patrol, he wouldn't be tutoring him on this.

Bubble Girl was giving him a report. "Let's see… the site where the contact occurred was already empty, but there appears to be evidence that there was blood being wiped up. Based on the massive destruction of the building, we can assume there was some kind of fighting there. It is most likely the League of Villains-" she explained. Ace scowled, hating them. It was their fault All Might lost his powers when he did. It's their fault Ragdoll was no longer able to be a hero. They're fault that all of the kids were stressed out and scared.

"Bubble Girl," Nighteye said strictly. Oh, she was giving her report in too boring a way. "I think there is no future for a society with no energy or humor." That was totally something the Whitebeard's would say. Nighteye was harsh looking and could be strict, but he was a good guy underneath the unsettling glare behind his glasses. She started to protest when she was going to be tickle-tortured. A tactic that world well on Mirio, but not on Ace.

Tickling worked on him mostly with haki. He was tickle immune. It was just lucky he had energy and a sense of humor so he didn't need to be forced. Just that moment, Mirio and Freckles walked to the door and slammed it open. Mirio was smiling and announced that he'd brought the first year he'd told him about the day before.

Poor Bubble Girl was crying she was laughing so much. It happened to her a lot specifically. She couldn't make him laugh much of the time while giving reports, so she suffered the torture. "How loud can you raise your voice?" the pro-hero asked in annoyance. Ace watched with raised eyebrows as Freckles grew scared under the man's cold gaze.

Then, he attempted his intro joke and imitated All Might quite well. Both Mirio and Ace looked at Nighteye with raised brows and tight mouths. Speaking about All Might was a hit and miss most times. Sometimes you talked about him too much, other times too little.

And Nighteye didn't like this joke. "Are you… trying to ridicule All Might?"

He didn't like the joke. Not a good way to start. Ace had made him laugh with how blunt and honest he was about knowing nothing other than inappropriate and vulgar jokes. Plus, he already was interested in him. After all, it was a trip to his world that healed All Might, his former close friend.

Ace watched in horror as Freckles stalled. He had never been known for his humor, but he was nice and dedicated. Needed more confidence, but once he grasped more control over his quirk, Ace was sure he'd be helpful in his own way. He shared a worried glance with Mirio, who had sweat beaded on his face, and wasn't smiling.

"You little… what's with that face?" Nighteye continued. "What are you trying to do?" Bubble Girl was no longer being tortured, so that was good. The miracle laughter didn't really fit with the feeling in the room right now. "You committed this outrage knowing I'm All Might's former sidekick?"

Then, he walked forward and tried to "fix" Freckles' inaccurate impression. While he was doing this, Ace slowly went up and set Bubble Girl free.

"This is very unpleasant. Please leave," Nighteye said coldly. Ace bit his thumb nail, hoping the hero would give Freckles at least one other chance. But then, the All Might super fans started to seemingly have a competition on who knew more facts about the former pro-hero. Ace had a dumbfounded expression on, and went back to sit at the desk, though he was still watching, not knowing how it'd turn out.

Mirio inched his way over to Ace. "Is he always like this?" Ace nodded, that Freckles was a true super fan. "I was concerned at first, but now it seems he's made a good impression. That's good, I was worried there for a minute!" Ace nodded, agreeing. Freckles was a dedicated person. "Why do you call him freckles?"

Ace said it was a habit. He wasn't good with names, and he called those he didn't know well by their appearance. "Shigaraki is Hand-Guy for me. No matter how many times I say or hear it, he's still Hand-Guy. It's mostly you, All Might, Sir Nighteye and Bakugo that I think their real names. It's silly."

Mirio agreed with that statement. Ace, Bubble Girl and Mirio were standing a bit away as Freckles told Nighteye why he wanted to intern there. He wanted to become stronger. "You have a contract from the school-"

"Of course I brought it with me!" Ace winced. Nighteye had a real pet peeve of being interrupted. That's why those who interned or worked there always waited a few seconds after he spoke to reply so they know for sure he was done speaking. Freckles was going to have to adapt fast. Ace was just good at it from experience. And it was lucky he had experience on both ends. Having been an underling while also being a superior. He had a taste of both worlds, and it was another helpful thing to live in this world.

"You will not interrupt me when I am speaking."

"No, sir!"

He took the contract and said, "Once my stamp is on that paper, the work study contract will become official. A hero work study is not like the weeklong internships of normal workplaces that you can participate in casually. You must work here for at least a month, and of course you will be paid." He pointed out that Freckles would miss a lot of classes, and need to work harder and on a different path than the other students. It was only because Mirio was a senior and didn't have a full schedule that he could work most days.

"I understand! But if I match my pace with everyone else, I can't be at the top!"

Nighteye had a hard look on, more than usual, and slammed the stamp down next to the paper. Not on it. Freckles cautiously pointed out he'd missed. "That's because I don't feel like stamping it. I understand the merits you have of working here for you. But what merit is there in my employing you? With two sidekicks and two work study interns, this agency runs smoothly, so to add you… What benefit is there in that? How can you contribute to society?" The three workers in the room exchanged glances.

Everything he said was accurate. The agency did get things done, and after adding Ace, missions were completed faster when he worked with Mirio than they did before. Mirio and Ace already worked seamlessly together. What would Freckles add?

"How can you be useful to others? To be acknowledged, you must make those things clear. All Might showed it with his humor and power. He gave hope to those who lived in fear of crime. That's why people acknowledged him."

Freckles looked distant. "How can I contribute to society…?" Sir Nighteye stood up from his desk.

"In order to show how you can benefit in company, you should show it with your actions and not your words." He lifted the stamp up. "Three minutes. Try and take this seal from me in three minutes or less. If you want to work as a hero under me, then stamp the seal yourself."

Ace hadn't had to do this, as he'd shown he was capable before and Nighteye was already told of his observation haki. Meaning the fight would have gone on for forever. The pro-hero didn't like to draw things out. Freckles was confused and trying to hide some alarm that was easy to see. "I'm saying that even though you don't possess a single funny bone, I'm giving you a chance. Well, don't you think I'm a nice guy?"

Ace was an expert by now for not laughing when the situation was inappropriate to do so. He didn't even crack a smile. Bubble Girl and Mirio didn't either, all three watching with stoic faces. "Mirio, Ace and Bubble Girl, go outside. And Ace, don't tell them how the fight went. I acknowledge you can't help it for yourself. But don't tell the others."

"Yes, sir," and the three of them stepped outside and out of the building.

"Did you two have to go through that training, too?" Bubble Girl asked. Ace shook his head while Mirio said, "Sir asked for me specifically, so I didn't…"

She said, "He really likes you two, huh? Man… I'm jealous, you know?" Ace said he wished he had gotten to since it sounded fun.

"All fights are fun to you," Mirio commented. "Even life and death ones, it seems."

Ace said, "That's not all true. I like fights mostly where I don't need to be worried about those around me. The fight at the summer training camp was not enjoyable since there were so many people that needed help, and Bakugo just ran off and messed up my plan. And the fight with the pro-heroes was satisfying at first before things got real messy. And All For One, quite frankly, had the worst presence I have ever felt. Even worse than the most horrible people in the New World at home."

Mirio said that he wished he was asked to help, but was also glad he didn't need to be around the major villain, since everyone at the scene said he was terrifying, even without having Ace's observation haki to tell better. "Plus, battles are always more fun when you win. We didn't really win. We got Bakugo back and All Might took care of All For One, but at what cost? We lost him and the hero society is messed up for that. Even when All Might gets back in shape - which I will force him to do if necessary - he won't be a superhero anymore."

The other two looked sad, agreeing with him. It was a heavy loss.

They sat at a bench in the far hallway while Mirio got a drink from the vending machine. "He really is toying with him, isn't he?" Bubble Girl asked. Ace nodded, sitting next to her and leaning back a bit. He wasn't paying attention to the fight much. He would have had a hard time not sharing it. He wouldn't share it, but he didn't want the feeling of really wanting to.

"Yeah, right?" Mirio replied. They could all hear the squeaking of Freckles' shoes, and they were frantic so he had to be trying hard and missing each time.

They went in after hearing a big explosion. "Excuse us! We heard a big crash at the end!" Bubble Girl said.

"Are you done?" Mirio asked. Ace was the only one to point out the mess.

"Ah, the room is a mess, and I organized all of that paperwork, too," he grumbled. Mirio patted his back and said don't mind. "You're helping me, too." Nighteye finally said something, ignoring the small banter.

"I'm taking him, Mirio," Nighteye said.

Mirio pumped his fist. "Alright!" while Ace grinned, giving him a thumbs up. However, Freckles was shocked, since he clearly hadn't gotten the stamp or done anything Nighteye said.

"I told you to take the seal and stamp it yourself, but I didn't say you would be rejected if you didn't do it," the pro explained.

Ace said after Mirio congratulated him, "I won't be tutoring you here, Freckles. That's up to Mirio, Bubble Girl and Sir Nighteye." Mirio turned to Nighteye, happy and said that the youngest must have made him laugh.

"I had already decided to take you on when I heard you were coming. I also knew you weren't completely useless. But I hadn't accepted it. Right now, with the symbol gone, the people want not a dim light, but a dazzling one. Even if it goes against his will, I'll make you realize who is the most worthy of that power right now by having you work alongside the pros."

Then something clicked. He knew, basically, that All Might's powers were transferred to Freckles. And Nighteye just said someone else should have gotten the power. He could be talking about some other sort of power, but Nighteye was close to All Might and seemed to have rekindled their friendship a bit after All Might was healed.

It was interesting, and he wondered who Nighteye would rather have this power. Well, he wouldn't ask. He wasn't supposed to know about it in the first place. The puzzle was just pieced together for Ace. Nobody else seemed to have realized, as far as he knew.

Freckles finally stamped the contract and looked up with a determined face. "I look forward to working with you!"


	21. Chapter 21

**Shisukii: You'll have to wait and see cause I don't remember lol. It's been so long. But some people do know. Just not the public.**

#### Carimes_treehouse: Shit hits the fan in a different way lol. You don't need to wait much longer at all. 

**Adamari2001: Ace and his fire... hmm, what will happen? lol There's no sequel, I end at a note that def doesn't leave room for one.**

* * *

**Poor baby in this one. Enjoy~**

* * *

It was 1 AM and Ace was having a terrible time sleeping. He was walking around in an exhausted haze. He needed at least seven hours to sleep to be able to work fine. But that increased the chance of a sleep attack. He hated his narcolepsy so fucking much.

He went into the infirmary and knocked on Recovery Girl's door. He felt bad for waking her up, but he couldn't exactly steal pills from there without asking. They would burn through him fast but hopefully they'd last long enough to put him to sleep. She opened the door looking tired. "I'm sorry, but I can't sleep and was wondering if I could get some pills for it," he said, voice heavy with sleep and exhaustion.

"They're in that cabinet. Take two of them. You may take that whole bottle, we have many more. As long as you don't over use them." Ace thanked her with a bow and headed back to his room, which wasn't too far from the infirmary. He took the pills dry and fell asleep. He only woke up when the alarm went off. He grabbed it too hard and crushed it.

"Damn it," he hissed. But he didn't go back to sleep. He'd gotten six and a half. Fuck. He went to the teachers lounge and was allowed in there, which was nice. He drank two large cups of black coffee and six pepsis.

All Might walked in and saw Ace's pepsi pile and empty coffee cups. "Ace, why are you drinking all of that?" he asked in shock. It was quite a lot of sugar and caffeine. But he had to do what he could. This should let him last long enough to do his work.

"I had a terrible time sleeping. Getting sugar and caffeine sometimes help with avoiding sleep attacks. Don't worry, when I'm on patrol I have enough energy to make it just fine. This is just a precaution," he explained, feeling less tired that he thought he would. All Might nodded, and asked how he thought young Midoriya's meeting went.

"He really made me think he was going to not do well at first, but Sir Nighteye was just playing with him. He can be mean sometimes," Ace joked. "But Freckles was accepted. He'll have to not have my help this time. I won't give him tips or hints, he'll learn from Mirio and the others," he explained. "I'll still be going on patrols with Mirio, even if Freckles comes, too. After all, if he ends up being useless - for lack of a better word - then they would still need my help."

When Ace mentioned the patrolling, All Might's face went sad. Ace asked him what was wrong. "I heard of what you and young Togata had to go through on the latest stealth mission. I am sorry you had to find that." He was talking about the dead children. Ace looked down sadly.

"It was harder for Mirio. I've seen a lot of things, but he hasn't seen dead children before. It's a terrible sight, and to find so many. I warned him before we went in that we might find something unpleasant, and he needed to be ready. But you can't help being upset after seeing something like that, y'know?" Ace explained. All Might nodded, saying even pro-heroes sometimes get emotional when children are involved. "Especially young children, which you had the misfortune to find." Ace nodded, and they tried to move on.

"Since it's a Saturday, you're going to work, right?" Ace nodded, and grabbed two bagels and ate them plain before saying goodbye to All Might and hurrying out to the meeting place. Ace was buzzed.

"Whoa, what's up with you?" Mirio asked.

Ace laughed. "I drank two large cups of coffee and six pepsis," he explained. Mirio asked why on earth he did that. "I didn't sleep well, so it's just a precaution." The blonde asked if that worked. "Usually. Though at home there is no pepsi, so it's mostly coffee. But when we're on patrol I never get tired. Adrenaline keeps me from having sleep attacks, so don't worry," Ace said with a smile.

"Oh, Midoriya! Ready to go?" Mirio asked when the new intern ran over, carrying his costume case. He bowed and said he was ready to go. The three walked to the agency, Freckles staying very quiet. "Don't worry, once Sir likes you, things will be easier!" Mirio said enthusiastically. "Man! I wish I had seen your fight!" he lamented.

"Did you two have to have an interview like that?" Both shook their heads. Freckles looked sad at that and sighed.

Mirio said that he had been asked to come, so he didn't need to prove himself. "Ace was accepted due to his previous showings of loyalty and strength, and probably also because it was him who was able to get All Might help to heal his wounds."

Ace put his hands behind his head and said, "It's weird I'm let into the hero world without any provisional license or anything. I mean I'm glad, I would never, ever want to go to school, but still." Mirio pointed out that All Might was able to prove he was telling the truth about being a leader in his own world but also an underling. "Sidekicks and interns do best with those qualities. Being able to take control while also able to be under someone else's orders."

"I guess that's true. And it's convenient to have me around," he joked. "Since I can off the nomus pretty well and am good for stealth." Freckles excitedly pointed out that they were well known for being very well at those kinds of missions.

He said, "I wish I could be as good as you two! And work together with others seamlessly. I mean, Ace works with you and has worked with All Might. He has good teamwork skills."

"I think Mirio is better at the hero business. He's nicer," Ace said. "I'm the honest and blunt one." Mirio said that he was nice. He'd given his autograph, which had been asked for by others after the first put his online. Ace always drew the Whitebeard mark, even if nobody knew what it meant to him. Or what it was, a jolly roger. "Well, I guess I can be nice. I don't know. I think it depends on the situation and who I'm to help."

Freckles pointed out that Ace disliked Bakugo but still helped save him and put himself at risk. Mirio laughed, and teased him that he wasn't selfish at all. "Shut it," Ace grumbled. It just made his friend laugh again. Freckles seemed at awe with how well they got along.

"It's no wonder you two are partners, you get along so well. And then there's the age gap," he added. Ace couldn't help but laugh at that, stating that the majority of his brothers and friends were over thirty. So age gaps didn't matter to him. Well, if they were close. He wasn't close friends with the younger students. He and Mirio were just barely four years apart, and he was near an adult. Or already was one in this world.

When they arrived, Mirio and Freckles went to change. Ace never wore anything other than black cargo shorts and his hat. Everyone seemed to think his tattoo was part of the outfit or something. And everyone knew he'd once gotten irritated with someone who said he needed to wear a shirt. But, some of the women heroes had incredibly revealing outfits, so him not having a shirt wasn't exactly a problem worth fretting over.

"Today we'll be doing patrols and surveillance. We'll split into two groups, Bubble Girl and me, and you three," Nighteye instructed. Freckles looked confused.

Bubble Girl explained, "The Nigheye Agency is currently working on a secret investigation." Freckles looked alarmed.

"What if I mess them up? They're always the best as surveillance," he said, worried. Mirio said that if that was the case, then he was learning from the best. Nighteye pretended that interaction hadn't happened.

"Shie Hassaikai is a small, designated villain group. Its young head… in other words, the number two, Chisaki, started showing strange actions. His plague mask is his trademark." Freckles commented that the mask was scary.

Then he said, "But designated villain groups are under the surveillance of the police, so they seem pretty obedient…"

Bubble Girl replied, "It's because there was a big breakup once in the past. But this Chisaki person is starting to regather them again for some reason. Recently, he's even made contact with the League of Villains. The details are unclear, though."

Nighteye said, "But we haven't been able to get any proof that he's planning anything criminal. Because of that, the Hassaisakai are grey, close to black, and we cannot treat them like villains. What we're after is their tail. Be careful not to let them suspect anything." Then he looked at Ace. "Put a shirt on." Ace hid his outrage. "You are too noticeable, and the League of Villains knows you very well. We don't want this group to know that as well."

Ace sighed, and said he didn't have any shirts. Period, he didn't own any. "You won't just be using a shirt."

Ten minutes later, Ace was in a full body suit that fit just fine, and a shitty cape. He also had gloves on and sunglasses that covered his eyes and freckles. He was able to at least wear his boots. His brothers would laugh if they saw him in this. "I look terrible."

"You're not here to look good. Your hat will be safe here." Ace was frowning, more like pouting. But he then sighed.

"Fine. I'll pretend like a hero." He was grumpy. But the moment they left the building, Mirio laughed at him. "Shut it!" Ace retaliated.

"Well, at least you don't look too ridiculous. A black suit matches your hair and boots just fine," he pointed out. Freckles hesitantly said that he'd definitely seen worse. He was nervous and quiet, wringing his hands though he had a determined face on. Hopefully he'd get more comfortable after a mission where nothing would probably happen.

They were pointed out as heroes, showing they recognized Freckles from the sports festival. They wondered who Ace was. He didn't mind not being recognized, but he was getting hot. But he knew that was just his mind being stupid, as he was unable to get hot or cold.

He stood on Mirio's side so he could make any contact easily. They had certain signs to relay information. When Freckles said he was nervous, he said, "You must have at least gone on a patrol in your first internship, right? Or was the League of Villains attack too traumatic?"

"You did get injured very badly and your friend was taken," Ace added. Freckles shook his head.

"No, but for various reasons, I wasn't able to experience the basics…" Mirio said that was strange. He was the only one of them smiling. Freckles was nervous and looking down, which wasn't very helpful for surveillance. And he didn't have haki to make up for loss of sight. Ace told him to not look at the ground too much. "Yes!" he said and looked ahead. Damn, Ace wasn't supposed to give any hints. Oh well.

"But don't worry, Bubble Girl and Sir are the ones actually watching the targets today. We're just on patrol," Mirio said nicely. The youngest asked if they always talked during the patrolls. "Me and Firefist do, but only because we can both multitask and he has haki. Don't worry, I'll teach you lots of stuff. Stick with me!" he said enthusiastically.

"Now that I think about it, we haven't told each other our hero names yet! You already know Firefist's, so mine is Lemillion! I want to save a million people!" Freckles responded that his was Deku. Mirio blinked. "Are you okay with that?"

"I am."

"Once we put our costumes on and go out on the streets, we're heroes!" the blonde said happily. He was always happy. Well, except when they talked about sad subjects or were in a serious situation that they had to both be nothing but aware and focused on what to do next. "Don't let your guard down, Deku!"

Ace sensed two people, one running and one walking. The walking was dangerous. Ace tapped Mirio's hand once. He held two fingers up, then made a motion of a small object and then a taller one, followed by a thumbs down. Two people, an older one and a child, were coming, and it wasn't good. He nodded, understanding clearly. Nobody else noticed it.

They were unable to tell Freckles before the child crashed into him. She fell backwards. Ace suddenly felt worried. It was what looked to be a frightened, injured child. Not good for a first patrol. They couldn't let Freckles give them away. Even if the girl had to be taken back, they couldn't blow their cover or it would be over.

"Sorry, that must have hurt! Are you okay?" She was terrified. "Can you stand, are you okay?" he asked in concern.

The second presence came out, and for some reason Ace wasn't surprised it was their main target. "Now you know... You can't go around making trouble for heroes." The girl was terrified of him, and Freckles was going to blow their cover just with his expression.

Ace and Mirio shared a look, but still had neutral faces on. Staying calm here would probably help in the long run. At least, that's what they were both told by Nighteye. Plus, this wasn't a rescue mission, even if this girl was scared of the villain. This was to gather information, and this was a good step in the surveillance.

"I'm sorry about my daughter, hero. She likes to play around and keeps getting hurt," Chisaki said with a smile. His plague mask gave his appearance away easily. "I don't know what to do with her.

Mirio moved and put Freckles' mask up, saying he'd let it drop down again. "We're sorry, too, for bumping into her," Mirio said with a smile. "With that lovely mask, you must be from the Hassaikai, right?" Ace kept a relaxed face on, and his body language looked completely at ease. "You guys are famous around here."

"Yeah, don't worry about the mask," Chisaki said, still sounding conversational. "I'm sensitive to filth. It's my first time seeing you heroes." He didn't suspect Ace at all. He could tell.

Ace made a show to look meek, shrugging his shoulders. "Right! We're still pretty new, so we're kind of nervous. Now stand up, partner!" Mirio said with a smile.

"He's obviously her father, she's perfectly safe with him. We have bigger fish to fry, Deku. We don't go after people not doing anything wrong. You just learned all that, have you forgotten already?" Ace asked in a teasing voice.

Both he and Mirio were smiling, shaking their head as if Freckles was being silly. "That's right, let's look to a future we haven't seen yet," Mirio said.

Chisaki asked what agency they were from. "We're still students! We're still so new that it would be presumptuous to identify with an agency." Chisaki pointed out Ace looked older. He bit his lip in embarrassment.

"I sorta decided to be a hero a little later than everyone else. But I'll be graduating soon and set out to be a real hero," Ace said, losing the bashfulness and bringing up confidence. Mirio nodded, saying they were gaining from some experience in different places for their internships. "Anyway, we need to finish patrolling this division before lunch! Let's go!"

"Right!" Freckles said, before the girl tightened her grip on his shirt.

"D...Don't leave me!" she said with tears. Shit. Freckles wouldn't leave her now without a fight. God damn it, why did this have to happen on his first patrol?! By now both of the older ones were wearing neutral faces. Chisaki's eyes had narrowed just barely.

The youngest said, "U-Um… your daughter seems scared."

"It's because she got a scolding," Chisaki said, now very on edge. He suspected them.

Ace sighed. "C'mon, you know about that. You get scolded a lot by your mom, too, right? Always doing reckless things," Ace said, like he was exasperated with him. Mirio said that they should go again.

But the little, emotional fool put an arm around her. "No… her bandages don't seem like they're from playing too much." Chisaki said that she fell a lot. "For such a small child trembling like this without making a sound. I don't think that's normal…"

Chisaki's eyes narrowed again and Ace said, "That's enough, Deku. Do you want to get in trouble from the teacher? We don't harass normal people." _I'm sorry little girl_. She looked up at him and when Mirio agreed with Ace's words, Chisaki was looking at him, and Ace sent her the briefest, apologetic look. He was a pirate and didn't help people he didn't know, but this girl was so afraid. He felt bad for her, but they could do nothing right now.

Even if they did fight, they were dealing with someone dangerous. This was bad for Freckles' first patrol. "What are you doing to this girl?" Chisaki looked angry before he donned a relaxed and almost apologetic look.

"Jeez, heroes are sensitive to the subtle signs in people. Very well, it's embarrassing to talk about. People are watching here, so will you come with me this way?" Ace made a move to pull Freckles up but just gripped his shoulder hard enough for him to wince. But then he and Mirio went inside. Ace was sure they both knew this was a trap, but he followed after them. This guy was strong. And Ace sensed he wouldn't hesitate to kill them.

He didn't know how his quirk would work on Ace or what it was, but Mirio and Freckles had normal human bodies, even if they did have powers. Chisaki started to talk, "Actually, recently, I've had a lot of problems with Eri. She keeps defying me no matter what I say."

"Parenting, huh? Must be hard," Mirio said.

"You can say that again. Even keeping track of my little brother is a hassle. I can't imagine being a parent. Especially to him," Ace said with a lighthearted laugh. Eri was being held by Freckles and looking behind her. Ace couldn't help it, he didn't want to seem heartless here. He mouthed, "I'm sorry." She looked down, seemed to realize that they couldn't help her.

"Yes, children are hard to understand," Chisaki said. "They feel like they can whatever they want." Then he took off his glove. Ace grabbed both of their shoulders and pinched painfully hard. The three saw the glove come off, and Ace was ready to fight before Eri jumped down and ran away to Chisaki, saving them from him. "What, done with your tantrum already?" the villain said when they both walked away. Eri nodded silently.

"Uh um.. Eri?" Freckles asked. _Idiot! She's saving us! Don't wreck the sacrifice she just made!_ Mirio had the same body language as Ace, ready to fight.

Chisaki said, "She's always like this. I'm sorry you had to listen to my problems, too. Sorry for the trouble. Well, do your best at work," and he walked away, Eri going with him obediently despite the trembling.

Freckles started to protest, but both he and Mirio stopped him. "Wh-Why?" he asked, not understanding why they didn't fight to get her back.

"We're not going after them," Mirio said sadly, quietly. "Didn't you notice? He showed his killing intent to bring her back to him. If we chase after them too far, it'll be even harder to catch him. Let's ask Sir what to do."

They all walked out of the alleyway with sadness, but did their best to hide it. It started raining. "Lemillion, did I go too far? With the banter?" Ace asked after five minutes of silent walking. Mirio said it was good. He made it seem like they were at ease, even if Deku was showing too much emotion.

He looked angry. "We didn't want to leave her either, Deku. We had to, which is the sad truth. Hopefully we can save her in the future," Mirio said.

When they met up with Nighteye and Bubble Girl, Mirio did all the talking, while Ace made sure there was nobody spying or listening to them in the vicinity. "We're sorry, sir. We never thought we'd run into him like that. Running into a transfer student at a crossroads…"

Nighteye put his hand up. "No, this was my fault. We could have avoided this if I'd used my foresight on you three beforehand."

Bubble Girl said, "Anyway, I'm just glad you're alright. If you'd acted carelessly and made him suspicious, you may have been in danger."

Ace said, "We were in danger from the start. He was already pissed that Eri got away from him. I'm surprised he was able to stay calm for so long considering how angry he felt. He took off his glove at the end, and when Eri saw it, ran to him. He would have killed us if she hadn't run."

Mirio nodded, and Freckles asked how they were prepared for it. They didn't seem surprised at them coming at all. "My haki. I gave signals to Mirio about it. And gestures saying there were two, one child and one adult and were bad news." The youngest said he hadn't even known. "That's why it was good."

Bubble Girl said, "That must have been scary."

"It didn't feel that scary…" Freckles said. It was raining and Ace was the only one who was still dry. Maybe this outfit was good for undercover missions. He was already so well known from the news. He frowned internally. He was acting too much like a hero, even wearing a costume. Apologizing to people he couldn't save.

He hated himself that it felt horrible to not help her but felt really good whenever he and Mirio did anything to help anybody else. Was it just the sense of accomplishment that made him happy? But he pushed back the conflicting thoughts. He'd deal with them later.

"The other day, a band of robbers were escaping, there was a truck accident that involved some people. The people involved were Chisaki and others from Hassaiaki. But there were zero casualties. Those who were the robbers felt intense pain and passed out, but for some reason they were uninjured, and even underlying health problems and cavities were completely gone.

"They thought it was due to Chisaki's quirk," Nighteye said, and Ace shook his head. He commented that it was something really bad. He nodded and continued, for once not upset that Ace had interrupted him. "Anyways, because they caught the villains and no one was injured, there wasn't anything to accuse him of."

Bubble Girl added, "But they said all the money they'd stolen was burned up and nothing was left. The police found no sign of a crime in that regard, but either way it seemed suspicious, so Nighteye Agency started watching them.

"We don't know what they're thinking, but we do know that they act when they must." They were going to leave before Mirio stopped them.

"Oh, right, Sir! I guess it's a lucky break, but we got some new intel, right? Chisaki has a daughter." Ace, for some reason, didn't think that was accurate. Nighteye saw and asked what he was thinking.

Ace said, "I don't think he was her father. The way he worded things, he was pushing that image a lot of the time. I can see saying it a couple times, but he continued to use the words 'daughter' and 'parent'. The way he said it almost forcefully made me think he was trying really hard to seem like her father.

"And how many times he said parenting was hard. Wouldn't a parent being seemingly accused of something bad want to pretend they are a good parent instead of telling heroes that he has a lot of trouble with it? I don't know, it's just a hunch I don't have anything to go by."

They thought for a moment before Mirio said it was a good point, and in hindsight he knew what Firefist meant. "Then we'll keep that hunch in mind," Nighteye said.

Deku explained her name and how injured she seemed. "I don't know anything about her, but she was asking for help. If there was any way we could protect her…" But Nighteye didn't like this.

"Don't think so arrogantly," he scolded. "Haste makes waste. If you rush in to chase them, then they're more likely to escape. You're not so special that you can save anyone you want whenever you want. Currently, we are also requesting that other agencies team up with us." Freckles looked down sadly. Ace was glad he was able to control himself, and was a good liar and faker. How many times in the beginning of his pirate career did he lie to get information? Put on a front? Looks like his criminal activities turn into helpful things here.

It was so ridiculous.

"First, we must predict what our opponent will do and after analyzing it, arrange for the most complete preparations possible," Nighteye said. Ace got worried that he wouldn't be included. "I would like to have both you and Lemillion take part in it if it involves any instance of stealth. Ace will also be able to tell where and how many enemies there are."

Ace pointed out that he didn't even have a license. "Did that stop you before? Stop the pro-heroes from including you, stop me from accepting you? Not having a license isn't a big deal with your help involved if necessary." Ace smiled a small smile. "Don't get cocky."

"Yes, sir."

He turned back to Freckles. "This world isn't so lenient that you can save her with good intentions. The truly wise villains stay in the shadows. Know that sometimes, things will take time. The three of you should go back to the office today."

They nodded, and started walking back, Freckle's eyes shadowed. A harsh reality was just given to him. And it was different here than in Ace's world. You can rarely think things will go right there and trust nobody but those you know deep down are trustworthy. Here, Freckles probably thought heroes barged right into places and saved people. That was what All Might used to do.

"Well, that was an unfortunate first patrol," Mirio said, a bit subdued.

Freckles shook his head. "I learned from you both. I can't let my emotions control my actions. I need to gauge the situation first. Ace, how do you know how to do that so well?"

"You mean fake?" The youngest nodded. He wasn't going to tell the truth. Mirio would know if he was lying, he knew all about Ace's other life. It may have been reckless, but Ace's instincts knew he could trust him with this information. "Role playing. How acting like a villain is pretty easy? Like that."

Mirio made no move that would show that Ace was lying. He understood most likely why Ace wouldn't tell anybody else the truth. That he'd lied a lot to get things done back home. Lying was a good skill there. Especially when undercover. It was as easy as breathing for Ace. Words just came to him naturally.

"Oh," Deku said quietly. "I should keep my mask up." Mirio nodded, saying it was very important.

"I can't wait to get out of this thing," Ace said. The rest of the walk there was quiet, as was the walk back to the school.


	22. Meeting

**Adamari2001 & Guest: hint- it's really bad! Mwahahaha!**

#### ISawAGh0st: Thank you! If the Whitebeards came, Marco would take out Chisaki in an instant. Try exploding a phoenix. 

* * *

**Not much longer to go, and then I'll replace this fic with another very different crossover! Enjoy~**

* * *

Ace was sitting in the rolly chair in Nighteye's front room in the building, being questioned. He had good senses, perhaps even better than Mirio's, which he seemed not keen on admitting. He cared for Mirio a great deal, and they'd been working together long. Ace had been working there for two months, though one of those two weeks had been gone, recuperating from his mental breakdown.

"I noticed something. By the end of the encounter, there were spots on his face. They weren't there before. Like hives in a sense. He had said he hated filth. I took it as trash but then thought maybe he was speaking of some sort of specific filth. Maybe people, I'm not sure."

"What were his facial expressions like?" Nighteye asked, typing what Ace was saying as he spoke.

"He was a good liar in his _voice,_ but his eyes told the story. Every time Freckles showed any move of suspicion or emotion, his eyes would narrow and he'd feel angrier. He was good at hiding his anger, though. I could tell he was livid with Eri. Perhaps that was why she was so scared other than possibly being abused in some way."

"How strong do you think he is? You're good at sensing how strong someone is."

Ace thought for a moment. "Not as strong as All Might felt. But stronger than anybody in the League of Villains. Which is alarming. But not as strong as the nomus. They are the top so far. And he used his hands for whatever quirk it was. He wore gloves, and when I felt the spike or murderous intent, it was when he discreetly took his left glove off."

"Did he make any gestures with it?"

"No, he just slipped it off. He didn't clench his hand or turn it into a fist. It was relaxed. If I wasn't looking for it or was on the right side, I would have missed it. Freckles was too emotional to notice and Mirio was on the right side."

"Did you sense anything from Eri?"

It was a question Ace hadn't thought about. "She didn't feel terribly weak, but any power she had was eclipsed by Chisaki. Sometimes the balance between people, if it's tipped in the scale, one will dim as the other becomes more apparent. So I know basically nothing about Eri's quirk."

"Did you get your emotions under control?"

Ace sighed. "Most of it, I feel I did fine. I feel like I did too much, but Mirio said it was fine. To be honest, when Chisaki wasn't looking and his gaze was on Mirio, I couldn't help but look sad. Even worse, when everyone had their backs turned, and Eri was looking over my shoulder behind them, I mouthed that I was sorry. I know I shouldn't have, but I didn't want her to think we were heartless, wanted to give her back. Freckles showed that, but I wanted her to know that Mirio and I didn't want to give her back. I know it was wrong."

Nighteye was quiet for a moment. "Was this your first time doing something like this? Resisting helping someone who needed it?"

"In these circumstances, yes. In my other world, it's kill or be killed most times. You can't trust a lot of people, so you avoid them. I help people sometimes, but mostly I look out for myself and those I care about," Ace answered honestly. It was foolish to lie to Nighteye.

"Ace, I like your honesty. Thank you for being truthful." Ace smiled and nodded. "And you are quite the actor."

"Oh no, don't start talking about my villain act," Ace said, rubbing his hands down his face. Nighteye chuckled, and said that it was impressive, and he would say nothing else of the subject. "Sir, did you mean it when you told me that having a license is not the most important?"

The man nodded. "That was the truth. After all, there are many uneducated heroes who couldn't afford any hero schools. You get more merit and opportunities if you have a license, for sure, but there are many helpers or even sidekicks who learned their trade outside of the school setting. So it is not so strange. You probably won't get any trouble from other heroes if you work on this mission more."

Ace was glad it was the truth, and he wasn't a complete anomaly in another way. "I'm going to give you the rest of the day off. You've worked hard and I'm mostly meeting with other agencies. Mirio is stuck at school today with a speech of some sort, so Bubble Girl and Deku will be fine to do patrol. In an easy place for practice for him. So, take a break and catch up on sleep. Coffee and soda en masse are not healthy." Ace chuckled and thanked him before leaving.

When he got back to school, it had ended already. He searched for the man and found him easily, leaving the meeting room. He walked up to him, and said, "All right, time to beef up. Your arm is back to normal. Didn't you say you'd get back to your old self?"

The teachers also leaving the room laughed. "I won't be a nice trainer. You may want someone else. I won't take any bullshit," Ace said strongly.

"You know I'm pretty much your boss, right?"

Ace shrugged. "I'm only trying to help my boss. Is that so bad?" The others laughed and wished him good luck. By the end of Ace's grueling work out session, it was clear All Might wanted a professional trainer instead of an overachieving exercise junky at heart. Ace, apparently, was a little too mean. And swore too many times. All Might was very sore by the end.

"I'm sure you're supposed to start out easy, Ace-san," All Might said by the end.

"Power through the pain!" the pirate shouted, fist up. "Surpass your limits! Isn't that how you've always been? You kept being a hero for five years after losing an organ. Is exercising enough to do you in? Last time, you cheated. This time you'll get your strength and body the hard way, through hard and painful work!" Ace exclaimed in a hard and determined voice.

He'd known some of the staff were watching the whole time. Present Mic was and so was Midnight. All Might looked at him with a hard expression, and for a moment, Ace thought he was actually mad at him. That he'd gone too far.

Then he sighed. "What has become of me? To need a pep talk like this about being strong. I will accept your terrible ways. I won't give up with something so trivial."

"Great!" Ace exclaimed. "I won't be easy, but you'll get there. I will give you two months to improve. You will work out every other day before switching to every day. And when I'm not here, you should follow the schedule I give you. I'm the boss now, mwahahaha!" he laughed jokingly. "And even if I'm gone, you're still going to follow through on my agenda."

All Might smiled sadly. "Do you still wish to never come back?" he asked in a soft voice. Ace looked down. It'd been on his mind for days. What everyone thought, and what he thought. Everything he thought was challenged by everybody else. The other teachers left, thankfully, to not listen in on their personal conversation.

"I'm just confused," he admitted.

"About going back?" Ace shook his head.

"I'm confused as to who I am. All of my family and the people here insist I'm a good person. That I can be a pirate and a sort of hero at the same time." He sat down and said, "I've always been a demon's child. How can someone with my blood be a hero? It's stupid," he mumbled quietly. All Might sat down across from him.

"Because of your father?" Ace nodded. He knew all about Ace's past. Not such personal things as Mirio, but he knew him well enough. "Your family doesn't think that. And this world doesn't think that. We don't know who or what kind of person Roger was." Ace knew that was right.

"But I know who I am. At least, I thought I did. I'm a criminal, wanted with a bounty on my head. I don't help people just on a whim. But… I felt bad for not helping that little girl who needed it. I felt more heartless doing that than every crime I've ever committed in my entire life. I've never thought I was a good person. Yet everyone I know says I am, insists it.

"I think the real deal breaker will be next time I go home. To see if I age in this world. I don't want to age slower or faster than my family. If I age four weeks worth of growth instead of two, then I can't bring myself to stay in this world." Then he leaned back on his hands. "But I guess it wouldn't matter much if that island isn't there and I have no way or any ideas how to stop the loop."

All Might was quiet. He knew Ace would speak more. "It's easier for everyone else. That's why they don't see it like I do. To them, I'm with them at all times except for an hour every two weeks. It takes me like, four days to get into the swing of it again, remember who I am there. I'm not supposed to be a criminal here, and I'm not supposed to be a hero there. It's scary, not knowing who I am or what I want to do."

He clenched his fists. "I don't want to change who I am to my family. I don't want to not like being a pirate. What if I look down on them for what they do? I'll always love them. But will I love what they do?" He didn't want that. He didn't want to change, not like his life back there, not love his crew and the adventures they go on. This adventure has been different than any before. For two main reasons. It wasn't a place in his world, obviously that was a big deal. But, he was alone. He's always been with someone, whether it be the Whitebeards or Spades. Or Luffy and Sabo. But never alone like this.

All Might acknowledged his concerns. They were valid. "Perhaps your values could change, but you're still the same person."

"Will my family get irritated with me? That I suddenly change to them. At home, I try to convince myself that it's that world that makes me a troublemaker, makes me fight people. But that's not true. I don't have to destroy marine bases. I don't have to be part of attacks on other pirate crews. I don't have to be a pirate at all. I could have just stayed on my island but that wasn't my dream.

"I'm not a villain. But I'm not a saint. I know I'm not. I'm supposed to be selfish, so why did I feel so bad for that girl? I should have thought 'oh, someone else could save her. It's not my job, I'm not even a hero'. But that's not what I thought. I was angry that I had to leave her. But I wasn't stupid like Freckles was. I had my emotions under control and I didn't let them overcome me. But I broke, just for a second. I couldn't help but apologize to her for not saving her." Ace scowled. "That's _not me_."

"Ace-san, I know you might not want to hear this, but people change their habits, but are still their person. A criminal could become a hero but still be foundationally the same. The same memories, the same personality, only their actions changed."

"It wouldn't be changing _habits,_ it would be completely changing my life. Pirating isn't a habit, it's a way of life. It was always my dream, and I love what I do. I love being with my brothers and the excitement of fighting and being silly and stupid and maknig crude jokes and drinking myself to unconsciousness when we have our parties." He sighed. "So much of that isn't here. I can't fight for fun or I'll get in trouble. I can't make crude jokes or be silly in the work environment without being looked down on or losing credibility. And I sure can't drink a keg of beer in one night as a competition.

"Though I commend myself for not wanting alcohol here, even before my meltdown."

Then All Might smiled. "If you don't age here, wouldn't life back home be like a breath of fresh air? You could appreciate it there more, you could fall in love with your family and life all over again every two weeks. It would be paradise to you. You would get to be with your brothers and wish to spend more time with them. You could appreciate getting into trouble since you were finally allowed to. You could have a break from the stresses of behaving here.

"You'll still have the same amount of time there if you don't age. I don't want you to hate this world. I don't want you to be devastated when the time comes for you to come back here. I want you to be happy as much as possible. But you could be a different person here and go back home and be the same person you were before, there. Life as a hero and life as a criminal. You'd get to be both aspects! You'd get chances to try out vastly different things here."

Ace had tears down his face. All Might was right about a lot of things he'd just said. He felt himself changing here every time he came, but he went back home and was so damn happy. He still enjoyed pirating. Since he became more prominent and helped out, going back home, he hadn't changed. His brothers would tell him, and they said nothing about it.

They saw it, too. That's why they convinced him that this was a different adventure, that he could be a hero and a pirate. They saw this as an opportunity for him to try new things. And Ace knew that he'd be happy for his brothers to go on new adventures. He'd be jealous, but still. And they were all so happy when he came back.

Maybe not just because he'd been gone for an hour, but because he smiled and hugged them and laughed and sang with them the days after he went back. Thatch and Haruta were always so cheerful. He hadn't noticed it, but he saw more smiles when he came back. Maybe it was the same for them. They were happier when Ace came because they knew he would be leaving. Even if it was for an hour.

Did this make everyone happy more? He didn't want to continue this just to make his family happy. Seeing them happy was wonderful. But he was always happy as well. And they had had plenty of fights since he'd started this journey that he still didn't see an end to. He hadn't felt guilty for hurting marines. He hadn't felt guilty for hurting villains.

He would take to his family more about this, but was pretty sure what their answer would be. If it made him happy, then they would encourage it for him. Family tried to make each other happy. At least, good family. They always loved his smiles. When he'd smiled on the ship the first time, they threw a party.

Then he remembered. He'd been miserable there, for months. But look how that turned out? He had a wonderful, caring family that would fight to save him, save his smile. He had hated it here at first, but slowly it was growing on him and he barely noticed most of the time. That was how it was on the Moby Dick.

Would things end up like that this time? He already had a great friend that he honestly didn't want to say goodbye to. He didn't need to hide from the authorities or risk going to jail by fighting even more. And he couldn't help but enjoy the pleasant, safe atmosphere here. The government of this world ran smoothly, he didn't need to worry about sea kings or killer storms.

He was confused, but not as much as he was before. "I need to talk to my family about this. But… thank you. You don't know how much this conversation means to me," he said in a choked up voice.

All Might put his hand on Ace's head. "Whatever you choose to do, you are a good person, and deserve to be happy, even if that means you never come back. I'd rather never see you again and have you be happy than seeing you here absolutely miserable. Don't think too hard about how everyone else would feel. Think of your own happiness. I think this world could make you very happy."

Ace nodded and put himself back together before they went to get something to eat. "I'm thankful for that conversation, but I'm still gonna put you through so much pain. Be prepared," Ace said with a grin, feeling much, much, _much_ better now than he was before. Maybe it wasn't so bad. To like it here. Maybe he shouldn't feel guilty. But, it all depended on one thing. The most important part. Will he age here and leave his family behind? Or they leave him behind? That was the deal breaker that he worried about.

-x-

Ace waited with Mirio outside of the building they were sent to, waiting for the others who would come. Some from class 1-A. How were they always the ones to do things? Poor class 1-B. But before any of them came, Mirio's fellow big three came. Hado, the girl, was very excitable it seemed. The moment they met, she started asking questions. Ace answered all of them, and this just made her more and more excited before he pointed out she was speaking too fast.

But she seemed fascinated with him, and let her poke her finger into his flames while he tried to speak to the other one, who really didn't seem like he wanted to talk. Hado stopped poking him and said that Amajiki was shy. Ace wasn't used to shy people, but just smiled and said he understood.

"I want to learn more about your cool quirk so talk whenever you're ready," he said cheerfully. He was in a good mood. He was being included in the meeting. And he'd given Nighteye all of the information he had, so he didn't need to tell it to everybody in person.

"You're sure in a good mood today," Mirio pointed out. "For the past 3 days, really." Those days had been after his enlightening talk with All Might, that really changed his perspective. He wasn't a hero in the normal sense anymore, but he sure helped Ace when nobody else could. Once he was buff again, maybe his confidence would come back.

"Just had a talk with All Might that went pretty well," Ace said honestly. He rarely lied about anything other than his other life and what he was there.

"Hey, hey, I heard you were training him. Suuuuper hard!" Hado said excitedly.

Ace nodded with a grin. "I'm putting him through hell. He needs to get back to a new normal soon. Nobody thinks he's strong anymore because he looks weak. So I'm helping him out after he helped me out. I don't think he likes me after the work outs, though. I'm kinda mean," he admitted.

"Well, as long as it helps him, then being temporarily mean won't be a problem, right?" Mirio asked. Ace agreed. That was what he was going for. After their talk, Ace was sure he couldn't easily make All Might dislike him, which was nice. When he was talking to Hado and Mirio, getting along well, some of the other students arrived.

"Ace! You're here, too?" Kirishima asked.

Ace grinned. "Am I not strong enough to participate? And I heard about you on the news. That was pretty cool."

Kirishima grinned. "Not as cool as fighting with All Might, but it was pretty awesome. Everyone else is jealous of us. Especially Bakugo." Ace wasn't surprised. After all, Freckles had an internship while Bakugo didn't. He'd also lost to the calmer one with the provisional license. He was probably furious still. But, he was leaving Freckles alone in class lately. Which was a weird change. Maybe it was about that fight a while ago.

Ace looked at Midoriya. "How are you holding up?" he asked sincerely.

Freckles frowned. "Just hope we can do something soon. It's been bothering me all this time." Both Ace and Mirio frowned and nodded. All of the others wondered what they meant, but Ace said they'd probably find out with this meeting. A lot of pro-heroes were there, and the students were nervous.

Nighteye had assured Ace that not all heroes had licenses, and he'd proven his worth and skill by the three events that had occurred. The big ones. The incident at USJ, the training camp, and the fight against All For One and the League of Villains.

The eight of them entered the building, seeing many heroes in it. Ace and the other students weren't weathering their costumes (which Ace refused to call that black bodysuit a costume or even clothes).

"There are a lot of pro-heroes here. Is it safe for them to all be away from work?" Ace wondered. Many of the bigwigs he knew were there. The nearest hero replied for him that there were plenty around to make up for them not being there. The pros weren't the only heroes who saved people and took out villains. They were just the most well known.

Ace noticed some heroes glaring at the first years. Not at him or the big 3, but the first years. After all, they were pretty much unknown and hadn't proven to anybody that they were strong and useful. Ace was glad his involvement in hero world were known publicly so he wasn't looked down on as well.

There were so many heroes here that he had to work hard to remember their names. If he had to speak, he couldn't call them by their disrespectful and simple nicknames he came up with, lazy to not actually remember their names. He had to work on that.

Finally, everyone was there and Nighteye began, Bubble Girl beside him. "Thanks to the information we received from you all, the investigation has moved forward substantially. We will now have a conference to share what information we have gathered regarding what the small organization, Shie Hassaikai, is planning."

They all went into the next room to sit around a large table and listen to the briefing. Ace sat between Mirio and Freckles. Bubble Girl started first. "Those of us from the Nighteye agency have been conducting an independent investigation into the designated villain group, Shie Hassaikai, for about two weeks."

Someone asked, "What prompted this?"

"An accident involving a gang of thieves called the Reservoir Dogs. The police wrote it off as an accident, but there was a number of points that didn't make sense, so we began tailing them." Next was the sidekick Ace hadn't seen much, Centipeder. If Ace didn't grow up with all sorts of bugs, he would have been disgusted, honestly.

"I, Centipeder, conducted a follow up investigation. In my investigation I found that, in the past year, the members of Shie Hassaikai have increased contact with those outside their organization and other groups involved with shady businesses, moving with the aim of expanding their organization and increasing their funds. And soon after beginning the investigation, he was in contact with a member of the League of Villains."

They had been very successful in getting the public's attention. Ace heard their stupid club's name so many times it was irritating. He wished they could just take them all out. And he had hoped some would die from the burns, but it seemed none had other than the one he killed at the camp.

"Jin Bubaigawara, villain name: Twice. They were wary of being tailed, and I was unable to follow them. For him at least, he does not seem injured from the severe burns that all of them have acquired after the battle against All For One." A few gazes flicked Ace's way, but he continued to watch the speaker. "Even though they were wary, with the help of the police, I was able to confirm that an altercation occurred between the two organizations."

Gran Torino then spoke. "Since the League was involved, they also reached out to Tsukauchi and me." That was the police guy's name! He met him, during the plan to attack the villains bases that ended in a tragic victory for heroes as a whole but a loss for the world. Somebody asked where Tsukauchi was. "There were other eyewitness reports to look into, so he went to check them out. Kid, I didn't think it would end up like this," the old hero said, looking at Freckles. That's right, he was first interned under Gran Torino. "I'm afraid I've pulled you into something troublesome."

Freckles replied that he didn't think it was troublesome. He explained to Mirio when he asked that Gran Torino had been his mentor for the first internship. They didn't notice the not-so-nice looks that were sent their way for having a small conversation in the middle of a large meeting. Was Freckles even supposed to reply to that? Ace had been in so many meetings, but he had always been a leader. Now, he was below most of the people in that room besides the kids. Well, he might not even be above them even though he'd proven his strength.

Nighteye said, "Please continue." Bubble Girl was speaking again.

"So after this all happened, we put out a request for help on the HN-"

"You can skip that part," Centipeder said. Then Hado and the other two girls were talking, pissing off a dark-skinned hero with yellow sunglasses… or goggles? Mask? He didn't know what to call them. But his name was Rock Lock. Incredibly easy to remember.

He asked, "Even if they're from U.A., why are there kids here?" Ace and Amajiki were the ones to stay silent. Ace because he knew when and when not to speak. When you are spoken to is when you should speak when you're in a meeting and not the leader. Amajiki might be just because he was shy and quiet anyways. "We'll never get anywhere with them here. I can recognize Lemillion and Firefist, but these are kids." Ace exchanged a glance with Mirio, but neither said anything.

Ace was glad he wasn't under fire, but did feel bad for the others. "The sun will set before we get to the actual plan."

But Fat Gum (another easy name to remember and possibly a nickname he would have come up with) stood and defended them. "That's not true! These two have important information!" Then he looked around. Seemed like a cheery guy. "Anyway, I think I'm meet'n a lot of you for the first time, so I'm Fat Gum! Nice to meet you."

Nighteye was not happy with all of the interruptions, Ace could tell. And so could Mirio as he looked tense. An angry Nighteye was not pleasant for anybody in the vicinity. "We suspect one of Hassaikai's main sources of income is from unauthorized drugs. So I requested help from heroes who are well-versed in those matters." Ace was still silent, barely moving other than breathing, keeping his hands in his lap. Honestly, surrounded by this many pros, he didn't want to bring attention to himself when he shouldn't.

Fat Gum was angry, and said, "I crushed tons of guys like that back in the day! And then Red Riot's debut fight the other day… a type I'd never seen before was shot into Tamaki. A drug that destroys quirks."

Everyone but Ace, of course, freaked out. Even if they didn't shout, it was clear everybody was alarmed. Ace was just glad his power was definitely not a quirk, and wouldn't be affected if they were tailor made for the powers from this world. But how horrible. He saw how it affected All Might, he would feel so sorry for anybody that had that happen to them.

But Amajiki said he was fine after he slept when Mirio loudly asked if he was alright. Rock Lock said, "I feel better knowing that you can recover from it. So it's not gone for good?" Ace thought that they should all assume that it was permanent, and not fall into a false sense of security. Drugs could be manipulated easily based on testing and trial. Especially if they were illegal and not being run through proper tests. But of course he didn't speak up, many probably already knew that.

Nighteye responded, "No. We will hear from Eraser Head on that matter." The focus of the table turned to Eraser Head, looking exhausted, like always.

He started immediately. "It seems to be a little different from my Eraser since I dont attack quirk itself directly." He explained how his power worked and ended with "I can stop it from working temporarily but cannot directly inflict damage on them." Fat Gum was up again, and said that Amajiki had had the hospital look at him after being shot, and that his quirk genes were damaged. "Thankfully, they healed on their own, and he's back to normal, though."

Nighteye asked another question, and Ace was wondering how many had known what to say before the meeting, if anyone. Nobody was asking many questions. But nobody had been asked. But they were pro-heroes right?

"What about the analysis of what was shot into him?" Fat Gum replied that there was no damage to the rest of his body, but only the quirk. The guy who did it wasn't saying anything either.

"The gun's in pieces, and the only bullet we had was the one that got shot!" he said angrily. "But thanks to Kirishima's brave actions that lead to one bouncin' off his body, we were able to get one still filled with the drug! After analyzin' the contents, we discovered somethin' that made me sick. Human blood and cells were inside!"

While the others were disgusted, Ace was freaking out. "Eri…" he said. Mirio looked at him harshly. Nighteye turned to him and asked what he meant. Ace was put under the spot, he didn't like it. "A little girl who was with the leader of the Hassaikai was running from him… we met them on patrol. He was very possessive about her, and she had bandages all over her arms. If _she_ were the one he was using, then he would never want her to get away. Which was why he was so angry about her leaving. He wanted to get away and not talk to us," Ace explained.

Ace looked at Mirio and Freckles, who looked horrified. Someone asked how he would come up with that. Ace defensively said it was just a sudden hunch, and wasn't proof or anything. "I apologize for speaking out of turn," he said with a bow. A few looked at him with a praising look, and the conversation was directed away from him, thankfully.

Ryukyu said, "So that effect came from a person… someone's quirk? A quirk that destroys quirks…"

"I'm not following this. Aside from Firefist's hunch, what does this have to do with Hassaikai?"

Fat Gum replied that, "The guy Kirishima caught and the illegal drug he used! The distribution channels for things like that are complex. It's gotten a lot smaller these days, but various people and organizations sell them wholesale until they finally reach the end user. There's no proof that the Hassaiaki handled the goods, but they didn't interact with one of the intermediaries."

Nighteye said, "The other day, when Ryukyu's team broke up the fight between two villain groups, controlling one of the groups was the intermediary dealer organization." This segwayed into the dragon hero speaking.

"One of the two that turned giant had been given and inferior drug that didn't last long." Someone who had a mask or helmet on spoke, but Ace had no idea who'd said it. "There have been a rash of gang-related crimes recently, and most can be connected to the Hassaikai if you tried hard enough."

"It sounds like you're trying really hard to make the Hassaikai guilty. Don't you have something that implicates them more obviously?" Then a photo of Chisaki appeared on the screen, and Ace worried so much that his hunch was correct, that Eri was being used for this and they just let her be taken back. The rational side of him knew that was the absolutely right thing to do in that moment, but the annoying empathetic side regretted it.

"The young head, Chisaki's quirk is overhaul. His power lets him disassemble and restore things. Disassemble, a quirk that lets him break things and then fix them. A terrible power indeed," Nighteye said, making eye contact with Ace, who had hypothesized that his quirk was not something only to heal. But if he could disassemble, he could kill people in violent ways. Torture them.

What if he did that to Eri? If she misbehaved, she would be punished and then restored just fine! It seemed the other two came to this conclusion as well. They all looked horrified, though Ace had been thinking it before, and were all ashamed, their heads down and faces looking hateful and so guilty. They let Eri be taken.

Nighteye continued though he had to have noticed his interns' demeanours and auras. The other two didn't seem to be paying attention anymore, but Ace was at full. "Chisaki has a daughter named Eri. There are no records or details about her birth, but when Mirio, Ace and Midoriya encountered her, as Ace said, she had a large amount of bandages around her arms and legs."

Ace's hunch was correct, sadly. Eri wasn't valuable as a "child" but as a source of income and power. "Don't tell me something so horrific," Ryukyu said quietly.

Gran Torino said, "It's a society of superhumans. If you can dream it, you can do it." Kirishima expressed confusion, and Rock Lock rudely said, "Are you sure we need the kids? I'll say this only once. We're wondering if this Chisaki bastard is turning his daughter's body into bullets and selling them." The girls and Kirishima gasped in horror.

"We don't know if he's actually selling the bullets," Nighteye said. "At their current stage, their efficiency is still too uncertain." Ace slowly raised his hand. "Yes?"

"If they are being passed out or sold to people, and they are being made by Chisaki, then should we assume the ones they use are permanent and work fully? The one that got Amajiki was temporary, and wore off. Would the masterminds give the proper bullets to smaller groups that are more likely to waste them? Or keep them for themselves to use?" Ace asked.

The others nodded, agreeing that that was probably accurate, if Chisaki was involved at all, which they still weren't sure of. They didn't know for sure that Eri was being used, but still. "If that isn't true, and they are not fully completed, if they are in the test stage, and he's using them as samples to gather more to his cause. There is no hard evidence. But he's gathered people and funds from across the nation. If the completed drug would be able to completely destroy someone's quirk… I'm sure they'll have many ideas for crimes using this."

Rock Lock, now Ace's least favorite hero in there, blamed it all on the three who'd met them personally. Nighteye stood up for them and said he took full responsibility for what had happened. "Please do not blame them. Even though they didn't know the full story, they acted to save the girl."

All three were unable to make eye contact with anybody, eyes shadowed as they looked down at their fists clenched in their laps. "Midoriya was willing to bear the risk of taking her then, but Ace and Mirio thought ahead and acted to try again when the odds were better." Ace touched Mirio's arm, and gave him a sympathetic look, showing they both carried the blame, not just him. "The ones most frustrated right now are these three."

Ace sat with his face in his hand while Mirio and Freckles stood up and said, "We'll definitely take Eri next time! And protect her!" Ace hadn't stood, but he nodded into his hand.

"We'll save her and make up for this," he swore.

Nighteye said, "That's right. That is our goal." All three were determined to make up for their huge mistake.

Rock Lock couldn't redeem himself in Ace's eyes the more he spoke. The more he belittled people who could possibly help. "It's fine for the kids to show off, but if it's what we think, that girl's the crux the young head will want to hide, right?"

Ace would be able to recognize Chisaki from a distance, how he did with All Might. It was easy, his presence was like the smell of sewage. Hard to be near but easy to identify.

"She got out because of some kind of trouble. On top of that, some three new heroes saw her! You think he'll just keep her at home? I wouldn't if I were him." Ace nodded, agreeing. Chisaki would keep her someplace safe and hard to find or get to. Ace would find him. He'd find all of them. "Even if we push our way in, it won't matter if she isn't there. Have you already identified where she is?"

Nighteye said, "Ace will be able to help greatly. He can tell when people are at a certain distance around him. And since he's met Eri and Chisaki before, they'd be easier to find. We'd need to find the general area first, though." All heads turned to him, and he kept a stoic face before saying, "I can do that."

"But it's a big issue. Since we don't know how far their plans have gotten, we have one chance to strike when it counts," Nighteye said. "To that end, we have found groups with connections to the Hassaikai, or land owned by the Hassaikai, and made it as thorough as possible. I would like you all to investigate each place and narrow the list down to possible locations."

One of the heroes pointed out that they, smaller heroes, were there because they worked closely to those locations. It was convenient.

Fat Gum grew angry. "For someone who was All Might's former sidekick, you sure are careful. We're going about this too round about! While we're takin' our time, that little girl, Eri, is probably cryin'!" All three who met her winced.

Nighteye responded smoothly, of course, "We cannot all become All Might." Ace felt that they really put too much stock in one person to be the symbol of peace. It could have been the duo, or squad. Having one person accentuated how badly it depended on them and how bad it would get when they were gone and unable to be replaced or promoted smoothly. Now the heroes were all scrambling about with the absence of All Might. He was one person. They made him sound too perfect, undefeatable, invincible.

All Might was a human as well. He got injured. His body grew weaker. He was going to die so he started to give away his power. If only Ace had come sooner. Maybe things would still be how everyone wanted them to be. But they'd never know. Ace couldn't time travel.

"That is why we must put together our analysis and predictions and try to make the possibility of saving her as close to 100% as we can."

Fat Gum was still angry when Gran Tornio said, "We can't rush. If we make a big fuss about this and then don't get her, this could be kindling for something bigger. Like how Stain's capture became an ad for the League. In fact, that might have been the intent behind distributing quirk- destroying weapons for those hoodlums!" Fat Gum accused him of thinking too much.

This guy was too emotional. He was a leader, he needed to have a clear head. "If you keep sayin' stuff like that, you won't be able to do anythin'!" Eraser Head then raised his hand and asked if he could ask a question. He asked why Sir Nighteye couldn't just use his foresight, seeing someone's future for an hour, on everyone and see how the mission would go.

"I… cannot do that," he replied, sounding guilty. "My foresight requires a 24 hour interval between activations. In other words, I can only use it on one person for one hour for each day." He explained that he could see the film of an individual's life, but the future he sees is from the perspective of the person and all he can see is that person's actions and close surroundings.

Eraser Head was confused and said that his foresight should give them more than enough information and then asked why that was a problem. It did seem really powerful in practice, but like all quirks, there was some negative aspect. Everyone he'd met so far with a quirk had some sort of weakness with their power. Kaminari would short out if he used too much lightning. Mirio couldn't breathe or see while using his power. Eraser Head had to keep his eyes opened and if they closed then his power shut off, Yaoyorozu had a limit to her creation, etc.

Nighteye looked troubled. "What if in that person's near future, death… just a merciless death was waiting…" he paused but didn't really continue that train of thought. "My quirk should be used only after we have already drawn out the highest probability of success, where it can be used to ensure our victory. It shouldn't be used so haphazardly when there are still so many uncertainties."

"What?!" Rock Lock shouted, startling Ace. "But death is information, too! We could put together a plan to avoid it!" Nighteye said it wasn't the same as fortune telling. "I have only ever had one prediction that has not been inevitable." He looked to Ace, who didn't know why. "The only time any of my visions' outcomes have been avoided was Ace arriving and saving All Might. But that was an anomaly, I do not trust it will happen again."

The room all stared at Ace, who looked at his feet awkwardly. Well, he wasn't meant to show up anyway. But nobody else knew how he came. Nobody else knew All Might was seriously injured. "Any other vision I know cannot be avoided.

Finally people turned their attention away from Ace, who was the only one of the three who let Eri go that hadn't jumped from his chair. Rock Lock was again angry and making a fuss, "Nighteye, I don't get it! Fine, use it on me! I'll show you I can avoid it!"

"No," Nighteye said harshly. He didn't elaborate, and was stared at awkwardly until Ryukyu saved the day and said, "Anyway, let's do this. There's a girl in trouble. That's the most important thing."

Nighteye stood up and said, "Confirm the girl's whereabouts and take her into our protection with the most accurate information we can get as quickly as possible." Everyone was standing by now, as soon as Nighteye had stood. "I'm counting on all of your help."

After that, the youngest all gathered at a table nearby, Ace sitting there as well. Freckles said, "If only I had taken her back then, even if I had to do it by force, right now Eri would be…"

Ace spoke up. "It wasn't your choice that made this mess. It was mine and Mirio's. You wanted to save her, and we stopped you. It was the right choice in the short term, but the wrong choice in the long term," he said sadly.

Freckles asked, "How were you so calm in there? How did you come up with that horrible and accurate prediction about Eri chan?" He sounded upset. Mirio answered for him.

"Ace has seen a lot of horrible stuff. And he's more calm about the mistake with Eri because he's been through this before. He isn't being heartless," he said quietly.

The others looked at him and he explained, "I'm a leader back home. All of us have made at least one wrong choice that ended in a tragedy. Not always death, but some sort of terrible outcome. That's why I can accept the mistake of leaving Eri alone and only focus that upset energy to make the wrong right. That's all we can do for her right now."

They were quiet for a moment before the door slid open and Eraser Head came out. "Is this a wake or something?" His students said his name in surprise. "Call me Eraser Head out of school. But man, I was going to recommend that your work internships be suspended today." The students of 1-A were shocked, and asked why now. "You heard them say the League of Villains could be involved, right? That changes things."

"But we have Ace," Uraraka said. "He's fought them off three times!" Ace harshly said, "I'm not invincible, I don't want anybody thinking that. And they've come back each time. Somehow they're ignoring the severe burns I gave them in the fight against All For One. I don't know how. Eraser Head knows what I mean." He was referencing Himiko during the provisional license test.

"They are smart. And Ace is right. They are determined, it seems, to get to our class. I don't mean to scare you, but the highschool girl, the one who seems crazy, was at the provisional license test. Ace caught her, but we didn't notice at all."

Uraraka said, "That's why you took that girl? Because she was a villain?" remembering when Ace appeared in front of her and took the creepy girl away. Ace nodded, and said that she had ignored the pain of the burns they'd seen were there. "Why was she there?!" Kirishima raged.

Ace shrugged and Eraser Head told them that she had gotten away after they caught her. "But you know, Midoriya, you still haven't regained my trust yet." Ace assumed it was both them trying to save Bakugo on their own and then he and Bakugo sneaking out to fight late at night. "Unfortunately, I'm sure that if I stop you now, you'll rush out again on your own." He crouched in front of Freckles and said, "So I'll watch you. If you're going to do this, do this properly, Midoriya. Got that, problem child?"

The teen nodded, choked up. Ace had a small smile before he made eye contact with Mirio. Then he lost it. He was glad he stuck up for Ace. It made him happy. Mirio was looking back at the table, and Amajiki said, "Please lift your face, Mirio."

"Hey, I know about this. Hey, Togata, even if you regret something and get depressed, nothing will change. Did you know that?"

"...Yeah," the blonde said strongly. Ace smiled a little. Seeing Mirio upset was hard. Like when they found the children in the basement. But he bounced back. He had to.

Eraser Head said, "I'll say this to give you some peace of mind. The hand you missed grabbing onto did not necessarily mean despair for Eri. Face forward." His class immediately got excited and determined. Amajiki said Mirio's name, and he got up and said strongly, "We'll save her next time, Ace, Midoriya."

Ace smiled and Freckles said, "Definitely."

"We won't make the same mistake twice," Ace promised, putting his hat back on.

Eraser Head spoke up again, "That being said, apart from the big three and Ace, who are at least as strong as the pros, the rest of you probably won't have big parts to play. Asui, Kirishima, Uraraka. You three aren't here of your own volition... What would you like to do?"

Uraraka spoke first. "Eraser Head! After hearing that, I can't say I'm not going to help!"

"If you aren't going to say we can't do it, then I would like to help!" Tsu said. Amajiki spoke next, and Ace would not be able to recognize his voice as he'd heard him say maybe two things.

"Since the heroes had you participate in the meeting, I think they have recognized you first years' abilities." Then he said Kirishima, a first year, shined more brightly than he had. Nobody really seemed to pay attention to what he said, which might be why he didn't talk much, did people usually interrupt or ignore him?

Kirishima loudly said he was going to use his power to help that little girl. Eraser Head nodded. "It's fine as long as you understand. Our goal this time is only to rescue the girl, Eri. We won't step in further than that." He said both the police and Nighteye thought that the League of Villains was not involved in this. The chances of them showing up this time was low.

"But in case they're wrong, and the League ends up being involved, then you guys are out." The first years agreed to this term.

After they all dispersed, Ace went and found Nighteye, standing with Gran Torino at a wall of windows inside the building. "Sir, why didn't you tell me that I was the only one to change one of the outcomes? I mean, it was a pretty big one, right?" Nighteye wasn't looking.

"I did not want to acknowledge it, for it might make me think all of my predictions can be avoided. This was an anomaly, and perhaps the reason I didn't see it was because it did not happen here. But, I don't want to think that is the new normal. I didn't want to bring any attention to it." Ace understood and nodded.

"How did you come up with the hunch? About Eri being the donor for the drug?"

Ace said, "It was the most horrible thing I could think of at the time. I had a lot of ideas in my head at that moment. The most horrible one is usually the one that ends up coming true," he said sadly.

Nighteye looked back out the window. "You and I can agree on that aspect. Go get some rest for tonight, Ace. I'll see you at work tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Ace wanted to ask how long the operation would take, but he had over a week left. It shouldn't take a week, and if it did, he would only be gone an hour. The island was three weeks away. That would be one more journey before they came across where the island used to be.

He _would_ be there and make the wrong right, and save Eri. God, he was stupid. Why start caring about strangers now?

The next morning, Nighteye had Ace brainstorm with him about a plan. "Are you sure you want to ask me?" Nighteye nodded. He asked Ace what he thought of how the plan would go, once they did find the correct place, which would still take a few days.

"I think I should be at the front. I can alert others if anyone is nearby. Me and Mirio should work closely together since we're good at that. If I give him the clear, he'll be able to inspect rooms we can't get to without making a fuss. We're there to get Eri, not fight.

"But, if we do fight, I think I should not be the main force. If I get taken out, then everyone is put in a harder spot. I would like to fight, but many of the pro-heroes can fight and don't need my skills in that way.

"But nobody has haki like I do. I hate to say it, but I should be protected." Nighteye was writing this down and making his own notes. "I should wear that terrible costume, as well. Villains have to know by now that I'm more than just fire. So I think I should be unknown and in disguise."

Nighteye nodded. "Having you be obvious could be a problem. If they find out you're among the group, they may try to flee. I'm not saying you're overly strong, but in the media, you are portrayed that way. And if Chisaki didn't recognize you, then they should not be worried that you would help. They wouldn't suspect it unless they knew Mirio was coming. He and you are partners, so it would make sense for you to work together again."

Ace agreed with that. "There should be police waiting at each exit, and some heroes as well. I think it will have to be a small team that goes in so it doesn't attract too much attention. Heroes should form a perimeter around the area. In case any backup shows up."

Nighteye said, "The team will be small. What do you think of Midoriya? Can he be of direct help?"

Ace thought for a moment. "He's not especially strong, but he is smart and thinks quickly. His response time is lower than I think pro-heroes would be, but I help train him in that, so he might be of help. He's a kid, but he could be helpful to protect me with someone else.

"With the mission being stealthy, I think me and Mirio would be able to pull it off. If fighting comes, then we'd need strong people to go against Overhaul. His ability is alarming at the least. I don't know if I'd be able to be affected by it. He destroys things, right? Pulls them apart?" Nighteye confirmed this. "Fire can't be cut or taken apart. It's either lit or it's not. But I don't know if my logia would be able to stand it.

"So, I have no intention of getting close to Chisaki."

"Do you think you'll be affected by the bullets?" after all, Ace didn't have a quirk

Ace shrugged, but said he didn't want to test it out. He was then asked if his conqueror's haki would work. "I'd only be able to do it a few times before tiring out. And some people don't pass out if their will is strong enough, so I believe that it will most likely not affect him, but underlings and possible heroes."

They spent time planning while Freckles and Mirio were at school and Ace had already finished his two classes he worked with All Might. During one break between strategizing, Ace had told Nighteye about his grueling exercise regimen. It had made him smile.


	23. Black Flames

**Adamari2001: And this chapter is a cliff hanger too, mwahaha!**

* * *

**Warning for this chapter: Ace is brutal. Like** **_damn_ ** **brutal.**

* * *

When they weren't planning, two days were spent with Ace in a haze. When he worked at school and when did anything else besides when he was at work. And that haze was evident in Mirio and Freckles' eyes. Kirishima, Tsu, Uraraka, they were all nervous and distracted as well, but not like the main three were. They had let Eri go. Freckles blamed himself too much. He tried and wanted to save her, but Ace and Mirio stopped him.

Ace stood by his belief things would have gotten worse if they'd acted in that moment, but it was still a regrettable outcome. They'd change the outcome and free the poor girl. Ace hoped she didn't hate him. Well, even if she did, Ace didn't do things to get thanks and pats on the back. He didn't need her to like him to fix the situation.

They would get her out whether she wanted it or not. Ace would knock her out if necessary, but they were getting her away from Overhaul. The days had him distracted about his own body as well. Would he be able to be taken apart by Chisaki? He was made of fire. Fire doesn't reform into different shapes naturally. He would reform. Fire always reforms, even though people sometimes don't want it to.

Well, he would avoid that as much as he could.

It only took those two long days for them to find the real hideout. It was the weekend, and Ace had spent the night at Nighteye's place, unable to sleep anywhere that wasn't where he needed to be. So he slept on the sofa in the back. Nighteye was nice about it, seeming to know that Ace felt terrible about what had happened and was dedicated to do anything he could to fix it.

When he woke up, Nighteye was telling him to get dressed. Ace nodded and changed into his hero costume, though he didn't have stupid sunglasses anymore, but a visor similar to Mirios, only his was dark colored and not yellow. They did everything to hide his freckles. They were an obvious trait for him even if his back tattoo and hat were not in the picture.

Ace was there already when everyone arrived. He was standing in the corner, eating a protein bar. It was stale, but the vending machines had all been empty that night. They were supposedly supposed to be refilled that day. He was glad it was happening soon. He would be out for an hour in three days. As long as the mission didn't take longer than three days, he'd be fine.

When the heroes had gathered, along with the high school students, they were shocked to find that Eri was in the stronghold. It's where Nighteye had been thinking she was all along. At the main residences of the Hassaikai.

Rock Lock was grumpy as always, and took out his frustrations on everybody else. "Then all of our investigations were for nothing?" Ace held in a sigh. This man was a grown adult, a known hero, and yet he was so childish to throw a fit when nobody else was.

"No, we were able to get new information as well," Nighteye replied. Fat Gum asked how he was able to confirm the location. If Ace hadn't seen it already, the bright girly toy box in his hand looked completely out of place. He explained that one of the Hassaikai members had gone to a store the other day and bought a bunch of toys for young girls. Ace bit down on his lip not to laugh when Fat Gum was protesting that, saying men were into all sorts of stuff and there was no concrete evidence.

Nighteye stayed calm. "No, he said something that no one else who has that sort of hobby would say-" and he told the story of how the guy had no idea what he was buying and had to ask for help.

Guess who got pissy again? That's right, Rock Lock. Getting pissy about Nighteye using his foresight anyway. The ever-responsible and calm hero said, "I believe I said I would use it once we narrowed it down so we could be sure."

Fat Gum asked that things had been decided. Cetipeder said that, thanks to the stakeouts, they knew for sure where they were to go. Bubble Girl added that they worked with the police to get a warrant."

All that was left was to go there. Ace walked to Mirio and stood next to him with his arms crossed. "You guys ready?"

They nodded and Mirio turned to Freckles. "Midoriya, Ace..." and he started waving his arms around. "Let's do this! We're gonna do this!" Ace looked around to see everyone else was watching. He sighed, as did Amajiki. He wasn't making himself look very professional. Nobody but the students were smiling. Ace had a blank, cold look of determination and focus on. He wouldn't screw up, and the pressure was on him a bit to make sure they made it through the building safely. And to Eri.

Once everyone was dressed and as prepared as they could be, they started the mission.

Soon, everyone had made their way to the police station. The main players were in the front, with the students in a line in the middle. Ace was between Mirio and Midoriya. They were both repeatedly clenching their fists. Ace took both of them. "We're going to succeed. Think of only the mission," he said softly and let their hands go, both of them seeming stoic, focused and ready. For whatever was waiting for them.

A plan this big never, _ever_ goes smoothly. Everybody there knew it those who had done anything like this before. So everybody except the first years. They didn't have experience in anything this big.

The police informed them that they found out there were unknown government tunnels below the Hassaikai residence and they were able to find out that Eri was being kept there. She was in a room there, and Ace would find her. He would make do on the mouthed apology he gave her. They didn't know the layout of the underground, but Ace and Mirio would take care of that and easily inspect rooms and unlock doors from the inside.

They were handed out lists of the quirks they knew that the enemies had. As many as they could identify. Ace memorized them, many of them he didn't want anything to do with. He still knew so little about how quirks affected him as a whole.

"You okay?" Ace asked Mirio. The first years were trying to liven and cheer themselves up. Mirio nodded, saying he just wanted this to be over as soon as possible. So Eri didn't need to suffer anymore because they hadn't saved her. He patted his friend on the back but didn't tell him they did the right thing.

"Well, we'll get through it like every one we've done before. And no matter the outcome, we always get through it," Ace said. Mirio said that the wording wasn't exactly inspiring. Ace smiled. "I'm in pessimistic mode right now. Expect the worst so you'll be happy when it's not as bad as you thought it would be."

"That is a _horrible_ mindset, Ace, oh my god," he said in shock. Ace just laughed.

"Heroes! Things might get a little violent. If you see even a hint of suspicious behavior or resistance, please deal with it immediately. We're up against gangsters who have survived until now. Don't let your guard down and carry out your respective tasks." The officers all saluted. The operation was to begin at 8:30. It was 8:15.

Ace walked to Nighteye, Mirio following, and asked if everything was going to plan. "We now need Ace more than before. To navigate us through the underground since there's no map for any of us to reference." Ace's palms were getting sweaty. Freckles was then next to him.

"You told us not to worry, why do you get to?" he asked with a smile. Ace smiled, too, and said he had a big role and everybody was depending on him. "You're strong enough to pull it off. You fought with All Might against the entire League of Villains!"

Ace nodded, though he didn't point out that every time he fought them, they just bounced back. He didn't need to tell them that, even though they'd all been alerted that the damn shit heads might show up. But they outnumbered the villains. Should be fine.

When they were standing outside the gates, the police officer announced that they were to rush in the moment the targets read the warrant. Rock Lock complained that the police officer always told them what to do, like they couldn't trust them. Ace honestly didn't trust this guy not to let emotions, negative ones, cloud his focus. He was already pissy before starting because Ace was important and needed to be guarded.

Everyone else was fine with him having a special role that none of them could do. Ace resisted pointing out that there was no reason to be complaining about the officer doing his damn job. And that he should shut up and be prepared to do his own. Mirio shook his head and Ace sighed, relaxing his body again and making sure his visor covered his face.

Then Ace sensed a huge presence. "Move! Away from the gate!" he screamed before a huge arm slammed through the fence. They were just barely able to get out of the way, Ace worrying that his visor had cracked. Hopefully it didn't break. Things already weren't going to plan.

Mirio said, "I see why you have that mindset!" Ace nodded, and held his hands up. He would be fist fighting, not using his powers. Though everyone was supposed to fight for him and Mirio.

The monster guy had a beak on, which might have been a mask. They all seemed to wear bird masks. "What do you want?" he asked in a deep voice, sounding bored and not worried that there were a bunch of heroes and police outside. "Bringing all these people so early in the morning."

"Hey, hey! Did they already notice us?!" Rock Lock shouted.

"Obviously!" Ace couldn't help but shout back, sick of him. "We just barely moved in time!"

"Forget about that, let's all hold them back together!" another hero said, a bit too optimistic for the situation, but everyone has their own ways of dealing with stress. The bird monster stood up and said he was a bit more awake now. The monster asked what they were there for again before pulling an arm back and thrusting it forward. Like All Might, the fist caused the air to move forward as a projectile.

Ryukyu changed instantly into her large dragon form, holding back the fist as best as she could. "Anyway, we shouldn't split up our forces now! Ryukyu agency will take care of him!" Freckles and Kirishima wished the girls good luck, since they were part of her agency. Mirio, Ace and Midoriya were from Nighteye's, so they wouldn't help with that one. "The rest of you, go in while you have a chance!"

The rest ran in, Ace not at the front yet. They didn't need his guidance. "A couple inside, but not too powerful," Ace said to Nighteye, who would be relaying what Ace said as best as he could so the villains didn't know Ace was there.

The police were holding up the warrant and shouting as they hurried forward, clearly not going to wait to let them read it. They just had to for the process' sake. The criminals of course didn't care, and were tackled while the others ran inside, Ace in the middle. Under his gloves, his fists were covered in haki. Not enough to make him tired, but enough that he'd break some bones if he punched someone.

Rock Lock said, "There was that big guy, too... Are none of them scared?" Ace resisted responding. He wanted away from this guy, but wouldn't let his personal feelings get in the way.

Finally, Ace moved to the front with Freckles and Mirio there in front of him while others were close behind. Ace was in front so he could give hand signals if necessary. "Let's do this, Midoroya! Keep Ace safe and save Eri!" Mirio said.

"Right!"

Ace wanted to save Eri, but he was letting his professional side come out. His commander side. His face was hard but relaxed, his senses keen for any sound, his observation haki armed and fists coated with armament haki. He wouldn't fuck this up a second time.

He found Overhaul almost immediately. The tunnels were large, but not big enough to be out of Ace's range. "There are many below us waiting. Chisaki is already on the move, heading toward Eri," Ace said, Nighteye relaying the information. They didn't need to know about the people rushing them, they were in plain view.

It really looked like this would not be a stealth mission. Good thing Mirio was good at fighting without even needing his quirk. He and Freckles were in front of Ace, shoving and punching enemies out of the way to make room for Ace, who wasn't paying attention to the enemies, trusting his friends, and kept count of how many people there were that were strong.

Ace wasn't paying attention to the conversations behind him, he was keeping himself watching over Chisaki and Eri. The two main targets. Not to battle either of them, but where Chisaki was was where Eri would be.

Ace stopped before the rest of them, knowing where the passage was, where Nighteye also stopped. "It's here, there's a device here to open a hidden passage."

"Be ready, there are three men waiting behind the door," Ace said, and Nighteye echoed. They all got into position before he did the combo and the door opened. It was eerie, how quiet it was down there but loud upstairs. Would any sound reach down there? Would every footstep make him wary?

But the silence lasted about half a second before shouts of "who the hell are you" and "bastards" filled the hall and echoed into the tunnels. Well, they weren't tunnels, they were hallways.

Bubble Girl and Cetipeder took care of these fodder and told them to go on ahead. Already, the group was getting smaller. Though that's what they wanted from the beginning, only they didn't want to be _forced_ to be smaller. They ran down the stairs, Ace now near the very front, but still behind Mirio, with Midoriya close next to Ace.

"There's a wall to the left," Ace announced.

They stopped and Rock Lock asked Nighteye what his deal was, like he actually lied and knew this wall was there the whole time. "I'll go check it out," Mirio offered, taking off his helmet. "Ace?"

"All clear."

He entered the wall enough to look out the other side and confirm that there was a hallway, but that the slab of stone was pretty thick. "With Chisaki's ability to breakdown and restore things, even this is possible?" Rock Lock wondered.

Ace stayed calm, knowing they could break through the wall. Even if everyone else started to panic and worry, Ace would stay calm. He wasn't feeling like the plan was being ruined, he expected the worst. And this was not the worst. Nobody had been killed yet.

Kirishima and Freckles broke down the wall, Ace reserving his strength in case they ran into some real trouble. Chisaki was with Eri now, and moving further away. Though at a slow pace, meaning he wasn't worried a bit. He was confident in his men. That might give them trouble.

"He's moving slowly, meaning he has confidence in his people and that we won't make it far," Ace said.

"Roger," Nighteye said. Rock Lock finally said something that wasn't pissy and almost complimented the two who broke down the wall. Mirio moved back in front of Ace, "Let's continue," he said in a determined voice. "Eri is getting further away!"

"WAIT! There's someone a few halls down that just merged into the wall and is coming to us!" Ace shouted. The others were alarmed besides Nighteye, Fat Gum and Mirio. Kirishima was worried and Freckles was looking around frantically before the hallway began to warp and twist. They could barely keep their balance as the hall stretched and shrunk, moved to one side and then the other, throwing them off completely.

Even Ace couldn't keep track of the walls' movements. "It's not Chisaki! It's different. The only one it could be is the director Irinaka!"

Rock Lock shouted, "Why didn't you tell us sooner!?"

"Shut up and stop complaining! Don't distract me!" Ace shouted out in anger and irritation before calming himself. Fat Gum said his quirk was Mimic. It lets him go into objects and control them freely from within"

The police leader for the mission said, "He's gone into the concrete that makes up the underground! And it's turned into a living maze!"

Ace reminded them that he could find the way no matter what. "But it's too big scale! He shouldn't be able to enter and control objects bigger than a refrigerator!" Rock Lock said.

"If you gets a big enough boost, it's not impossible, right?" Fat Gum asked. "I was bein' careful about what he'd turn into." Everyone was off balance and being thrown around as the walls warped and stretched. They were doing well not to fall, but couldn't walk forward. Ace was not getting dizzy, luckily.

He sensed around and found that most of the underground closest to them had changed. There was no clear shot to Eri anymore. But she and Chisaki were still here. They would just take more time to find them most likely. Fat Gum said he didn't think that the guy would turn into the underground. "This has got to be hard on him physically. Eraser, you can't get rid of it?"

"Not if I can't see the main body…"

Amajiki said that if the path keeps getting changed and remade that the enemy could prepare as many escape routes as they wanted. Ace was really sick of reminding them about his haki. He knew wherever everyone was waiting for them and where Chisaki was. "Is everybody forgetting about Firefist's haki?" Mirio asked loudly. He seemed irate as well.

Amajiki was panicking, and Ace felt for him. Mirio clapped him on his shoulder after he was mumbling panicked scenarios. "That's not gonna happen," Mirio said firmly. "You're the suneater! Besides, this is just a stopgap! No matter how much they try to warp the path, as long as we know the direction of our goal, I can get there!"

He was letting his emotions and impatience cloud his judgment. The plan was that he and Ace would stick together, but he had said "I" and not "we". It bothered Ace a bit.

Mirio said he was going ahead, and would find Eri. Ace grew angry. "That's not part of the plan!" he shouted. Mirio turned and said the original plan wasn't working. They weren't sneaking, everybody knew.

Ace turned to Nighteye. "What do I do?" he asked.

Nigteye only thought for a second. "Go. Find Eri with Mirio. We're stuck here for now. The walls might warp and you won't be able to reach him again. You might be the only one that can survive Overhaul's power. Ace bit his lip but nodded. "Be careful! There are at least twelve enemies awaiting us! Three are right beneath us!"

Ace ran to where Mirio was waiting and smashed a hole into the thick wall, but it was a small hole since it was so thick. Mirio pulled him through with Ace turning into fire. They had gotten quicker at that and it wasted no time. Ace was still unknown; he hadn't used his fire powers. Hopefully him predicting wouldn't give him away.

"You shouldn't run off like this without saying something. You can't let emotions get to you, Lemillion. It will cloud your judgment," Ace scolded lightly. Mirio said nothing but frowned. "To the left and then right. There's an open path that way," Ace said quietly. Mirio nodded and they both turned the directions, ignoring the walls put up to slow them.

The ceiling collapsed on top of them, more like it was slammed down on them, and Ace just barely made it out, jumping and rolling to get out from under it. "Lemillion, you okay?" he called but Mirio walked right out of it.

"That was close," he said. They barely rested from that and continued running, following the path to Eri. But the walls continued to twist around them, and they turned in wonky directions, throwing them both off.

"Damn it," Ace swore. "We'll just break through and go forward," Ace decided, and covered his fists in haki before he punched through walls and into rooms that were empty, or other hallways thate headed in a different direction. "We'll keep throwing this guy off and ignore his meddling!"

"Right!" Mirio agreed.

Ace's fists, of course, didn't get tired, and he and Mirio were making it pretty far in. The villains were unable to follow them since they kept going through walls that warped right after they left. They were scattered more with the guy warping the surroundings messing them up as well. Ace could tell Mirio knew this, too, and neither said anything.

Soon, though, the warping ended. "He left. He must be going back to the others or ran out of power. Though I felt him move away."

"Meaning it's more likely he left us for another group than running out of power." Ace nodded. "We have an easier time going now, then." Ace pointed out that it would also be easy for any enemies to find them in the parts that weren't warped. "That's true. We're getting Eri no matter what."

Ace agreed, saying, "We'll fix our mistake," in a strong voice. "And never make that kind of mistake again." Mirio nodded firmly. When they were at one wall, Ace slammed his arm into Mirio's chest before he went through it. Ace put his finger in front of his mouth, held two fingers up, a thumbs down and a new sign for the League of Villains, and L and V shaped with his fingers.

Mirio nodded and both of them stayed as still and quiet as they could. The two didn't know they were there. Of course not, all of the walls were very thick and the sound wouldn't escape easily. He waited for them to be long gone before poking a hole in the wall with his hand that was quieter, with Mirio pulling him through.

Ace found a hallway in the direction that he felt Chisaki going. He ran to the left, Mirio following him as they tried to get to Eri as quickly as possible, hoping to avoid all villains. None so far but the wall-guy who had left them and no doubt was running out power by now.

Then Ace felt his presence erupt and the whole place shake. Neither of them stopped running. It was clear even without haki that the power right now was angry and desperate. Damn, how fucking big was this place? It felt like they'd been running miles. But he knew they were getting closer and closer. Overhaul was still walking leisurely, not expecting anyone to get to him.

Well, he probably didn't expect pretty much expert infiltrators to come and then go off on their own.

"They're around that corner," Ace said quietly. Both of them stood in front of Chisaki and a bird man holding Eri. They were so close! Mirio was sweating but Ace wasn't tired at all. Ace let Mirio do the talking for now.

"Excuse me, but can I ask you some questions?" he asked with a deep frown. The villains had stopped in front of them and were no longer walking.

Chisaki said, "You shouldn't have gotten here so fast." Ace said nothing, though it was him who had made them get there so fast. Mirio said they had taken a short cut. Chisaki looked at Ace closely. Had he heard Ace's warning around the corner? Was he too loud, or was he just smart and thought he might be Ace. "You're Firefist, aren't you?" he asked in a bored voice.

Ace would have used to make a witty response while taking off his mask, saying something like, "Well, now I don't need to use this crappy mask anymore." But he didn't. He took it off anyway though and dropped it on the floor, showing his full face now. The bird man was instantly on guard.

"Working with heroes again?" Ace didn't respond.

Mirio said, "We're here to rescue that girl." The young master closed his eyes and asked that, now that they know the situation, they were acting like heroes, putting on their hero masks, Mr. Student.

"Back then, you were pretending not to see, weren't you?" he asked Mirio. But Ace was the one to respond this time.

Ace said, "We saw everything."

"Then you saw that this girl doesn't want you to rescue you. To her, you're not a hero," he said in a bored voice. Ace replied again.

"Eri was protecting us. You took off your glove to show her you were about to use your power on us. She didn't want that and left to protect us. We aren't stupid," Ace said in a dark voice. He just barely saw Chisaki's eyes narrow. Ace knew he was right, but this just confirmed it more.

"That's why we're here. To rescue her and make up for our mistakes," Mirio said forcefully. Chisaki said he wasn't getting through to them.

"Let me make this simpler. I'm telling you to die," Chisaki said and turned around to walk away. Mirio was about to run after them and Ace told him to control his emotions, even though Ace went, too.

Suddenly Mirio fell to the side, and Ace assumed it was a quirk making him dizzy. Ace wasn't and continued moving, sensing the guy above who was somehow hiding his presence, high enough that both were focused on Overhaul and his bodyguard. The guy above was drinking sake it seemed and Ace jumped up, perfectly balanced, and punched him hard in the gut. The guy fell and Ace stomped on his face, crushing him.

"We're taking back Eri!" Ace roared. Mirio looked a little horrified, and Ace told him that drastic time calls for drastic measures. "I'm not going to hold back so prepare for more, Lemillion," he warned seriously. The blonde's face hardened and he nodded as they ran forward, shocking the other birdman and making Chisaki's eyes widen slightly.

"Move, bullet to the right!" Ace said, and Mirio moved just in time. When Ace sensed a quirk from the other guy, directed at Mirio and getting him to answer a question, Ace sprang forward and thrusted a haki covered hand into his mouth and pulled down to break his jaw open and rip out some teeth. If Mirio were alone, he'd be fucked with these quirks.

"I won't give an ounce of mercy, villain. Now your quirk is useless," Ace growled and threw him against the wall, leaving a large crater. "How does it feel to be the one who loses the quirk?" he hissed. He couldn't help it, and hoped Mirio wouldn't be afraid of him after this. If Eri was, then that was that. He'd make sure Mirio got her and he'd protect them.

"Lemillion, we're going!" Ace said, taking the lead unlike he usually did with his partner. They both sprinted forward and now the guard next to Chisaki and the villain leader himself were running. Eri was looking over her shoulder and looked at Ace fearfully. He had blood all over his hand and arm from ripping the jaw apart. And he probably looked very scary.

"I'm going to leave Eri to you, she's scared of me now. I'll protect us and you'll be back up," Ace said, with Mirio nodding and agreeing to that plan.

But the guy punched in the gut came after them, and Mirio got him, sliding into the wall and then being shot back out, thrusting his arm in front of the guy's neck and making him choke. It was a brutal move, but it didn't kill him. The broken bird man was whimpering, as he couldn't speak anymore and use his quirk. The guy was sturdy, it seemed and the other man was shakily standing up despite the pain. Ace continued forward while he knew Mirio could take both of them.

"Ace! Down for count distraction!" Mirio shouted.

"Roger!"

Ace continued forward, and was able to grab Overhaul's arm while Mirio got behind him. But Overhaul was focusing on Ace with his glove off, and used his power against Ace, blowing him apart into flames. During that instance, Mirio got Eri away while Ace started to reform. It was slow though, but he wasn't dead.

Overhaul wasn't looking, thinking he'd blown Ace apart and was now facing Mirio, who was holding Eri after a successful distraction. That plan, "down for count distraction" was when Mirio would enter the ground and go behind the enemy while Ace would distract them in some way. It almost always worked.

"Why? You can't be here. He'll kill you!" Eri said quietly. Ace was still reforming slowly. Mirio had to last until he could help again. He knew he could.

"I will never make you sad anymore," he said. "It's alright. I will become your hero!"

Ace wasn't upset that he wasn't counted as the hero anymore. With what she'd seen him do just now, it would frighten any child. He didn't care as long as they got her to safety.

Overhaul was angry, as Mirio had gotten a cut on him. He called it filthy. Ace was still reforming. He'd been blown apart all over the hall. The villain thought too highly of his quirk, that nobody could beat it. "Come back, Eri. Kill? How many times do I have to tell you? You break people, that's how you were born."

Ace finally reformed and grabbed Chisaki's arm, yanking it back. "You think too highly of your power, Chisaki!" To say the two villains were surprised was an understatement. "You can't break fire!"

He couldn't let himself be blown apart again, it had taken two minutes. An important two minutes. He used his other hand to go for Ace's arm, and so he ended up letting it go, jumping back. He threw a fire fist at him, making Eri scream and Mirio assure her they were fine. But the villain jumped out of the way.

He was talking despite this. He was saying horrible things to Eri, that she was the fault of everything bad happening. She broke people and killed them. That she was cursed. And Eri was looking very upset by it, by the mind games. Chisaki took another swipe at Ace, who dodged and lifted his leg up. He grabbed the leg and burst it. But just like he had taught Freckles, reaction time was precious, and he used his other leg to kick his head, breaking his precious mask.

He was _livid_ at this. And Ace noticed he grew weaker with each burst. "Lemillion, hold on move on!" Meaning Ace was having trouble but that Mirio should keep going. But then Chisaki took precious seconds of Ace's leg reforming, quicker than his entire upper half, and destroyed the ground and then reformed it into spikes. They both went right through Ace and Mirio, and luckily Eri was unhurt.

"He doesn't care Eri was here!" Mirio said angrily. In disbelief. Ace wasn't surprised, scum like him didn't care about anybody else, and his power would allow him to restore her, which he then explained. Why do villains monologue? It didn't sense to him. Why they explained things to their enemies. Why they wasted time and information.

"Lemillion, control your emotions!" Ace shouted and moved through the spikes as fire. "You can't fight at full strength if you fight with anger!" he insisted. He got to the front of the two, though it wouldn't make much different with the spikes. Just Eri needed to be protected.

"What will you do if Eri gets hurt? Under these conditions, I'm the only one here that can heal her," Chisaki pointed out. He was controlling his emotions and Mirio needed to match that. "I've sealed off your escape." Ace was letting him talk and give away information instead of throwing more fire at him. "You won't be able to run away using that power if you're holding Eri. Are you going to fight me? Mr. Student."

He was going after Mirio with his words, trying to rile him up since he could tell Ace was fully in control. Let him talk, let him explain, but don't let him get control of you! Mirio, you should know that by now!

The guy that Lemillion had kicked in the face stood up and pointed his gun at Mirio. They planned on destroying the floor and going for Mirio's arm that was carrying Eri. When the gun was shot, Ace formed his hand into haki and caught the three bullets, them denting against his palm. "What?!" the current bird man called. Ace hadn't remembered any of their names. But they didn't matter.

"Who said I only use fire?" Ace growled. "Don't be sloppy, Lemillion. You're letting their words rile you up! We're here to get Eri, not defeat him!"

"Right!" Mirio said strongly, and took a deep breath. Ace didn't know if he could maintain his cool in this situation, but he had to. Mirio used the screen of shards to go into the ground and pop up behind them and attempted to uppercut him, but Overhaul noticed and warned him, just barely letting the bird man in white dodge. His gun was taken away.

Overhaul saw Eri in the cape and was about to do something before Ace was there with Eri in his arms and Mirio coming after him from behind. "That's the kind of guy you are, right! A hero puts on his cape so he can use it to wrap up a hurting girl who's suffering and in pain!" Mirio shouted when he used his move that bypassed the hand guarding and hit the face directly, throwing Overhaul onto the ground hard. He sounded angry, but was back in control. Good.

Mirio was sinking into the ground and Overhaul was about to destroy it and Ace couldn't stop him with Eri in his arms, and he wouldn't put her down in case the ground imploded again. Mirio had to work this on his own. He was equal to a pro-hero. He punched his face again, unharmed and fast enough to not let Overhaul destroy the ground. "I won't let you lay another finger on her! I'll take you both down at once! You've lost, Chisaki!"

He was on his own, Ace was now the guard. Mirio was strong enough to do this on his own. Ace trusted him and he trusted Ace to protect Eri.

Eri's eyes widened. "He's a cool hero, isn't he?" Ace asked quietly.

"Don't say my name so casually. I've already thrown that name away! Shoot!" and he tossed the case of anti-quirk bullets. He was pointing it at Mirio, and Ace put her down to stop him, only he was too engaged in the fight to notice in time that the bird man was now pointing the gun at Eri to get Mirio there.

Ace pivoted and jumped in front of the bullet, solid, so it didn't go through him and into Mirio. He would never let his friend lose his quirk. "Damn it! That was the only bullet!"

"Ace!" Mirio shouted.

Suddenly everything went blurry. Ace's eyes crossed, and he started to get hot. Uncomfortably hot. "Get away!" Ace screamed before he turned into flames, all over his body and surrounding him, making things harder to see. The flames got higher until they licked the ceiling, turning blue and actually melting the stone around him. The walls, ceiling and floor.

It was too hot, he couldn't control it. And it was incredibly painful. He started screaming as it burned away his skin, his own fire rebelling against him. Waves of heat started to emanate from the now pillar of dark blue flames that soon turned to black.

"ACE!" Mirio shouted in horror and fear, though he was now behind multiple spikes. Ace couldn't even see his face as the flames consumed him, burning his body away. The waves of heat fried the bird man, the anti-quirk bullets, and severely burned Chisaki, melting the front of him and his face. He screamed in agony, but didn't die.

Ace tried to move his arms to use his flames one more time against the villain to save his friend before they disappeared and the only thing left was a flame the size of a candle flame. The last thing he heard through the fire and screaming was Mirio calling his name, clearly having tears in his eyes. "No!"

And Ace could see and hear no more. He was gone, the only thing left was the tiny flame. The only thing that proved he'd been there in the first place.


	24. Final Decision

**Adamari2001: I'm sorry you has to go through that weather hell! I'm glad my story made you feel better!**

**Beetpiece: (─‿‿─)**

**Guest 3: It wouldn't make sense to have that in this. The Whitebeards never went to MHA world, so they wouldn't have any reason to sing about being heroes. I think they'd be like "piss off, I'm not a hero" lol and would then start singing about alcohol instead or some shit. And this chapter kind of shuts that down, too.**

#### ISawAGh0st: Oh, I've got plenty more crossovers lol. But none are specifically ASL. I'll be posting another one soon tonight since this one is over. Luffy would get into so much trouble. Dine and dashing a mcdonalds and then getting arrested lol. Or goofing off in a museum and breaking precious artifacts and then running from security. 

* * *

**Last chapter of my first posted crossover! I enjoyed posting it here much more than ff.net. The audience for crossovers there isn't the friendliest. So I have four more crossovers at the moment and they will exclusively be posted here. I'm tired of the reviews from ff.net lol. So, enjoy the last chapter!**

* * *

One thing was left. His senses were gone. His face burnt into nothing. But the flame felt things, objects moving around. There was no mind anymore, also burned away. The flame couldn't think or feel emotions. All it felt was that there were _things_ moving around it. It didn't know what the things were.

One was struggling, thrashing and writhing for some reason. One was in a ball, shaking heavily. Another was smaller, still besides smaller tremors than the bigger one near it. What were they? Well, it didn't matter. The flame didn't know. All it "knew" were the things. How many? It didn't matter, there were just things.

Suddenly the thing that was writhing became bigger and higher, no longer on its back. It was still shaking and holding itself tightly. The things off of its taller part were shaking, the smaller things at the end shaking even worse. The other bigger thing went fast forward, and collided with the other bigger thing. The little thing stayed away, shaking harder now.

Why was one smaller than the others? It didn't matter, they were only things. Moving things. The only thing the flame knew.

The bigger things moved around, one of them off of the thing the bottom of his lower things was flat on. It went after the other bigger thing that was shaking more harshly, forcing it to move around and fall flat. It got up, but the other bigger thing was going against it very hard. The big thing was moving a lot more than the other, pushing him back. It never stopped moving. The little thing was still not moving. But while the bigger thing was moving, it was also being yanked in different directions, like another thing was hitting it. But there was no moving thing there. Why was it jerking around? It didn't matter, though. It was only a thing.

Then more things came suddenly. The flame was tired. Too many things. They made it tired, so the things disappeared for it. It sort of fell asleep, but was still burning on it's own, now a mix of red and blue. Not just red.

-x-

Mirio stood with Eri in his arms, covered in wounds with his hair and outfit destroyed. Ace was gone, and he had so many tears on his face. He should have been able to protect himself. Ace shouldn't have jumped, shouldn't have risked it. And now he was gone. His body wasn't even there anymore.

Overhaul was still alive, stubborn though heavily injured. The heat waves from Ace's explosion took care of the extra, frying him until it was impossible to tell he was a human. Had been a human. Chisaki was strong, and Mirio had pretty much lost the will to fight. He'd only known Ace a couple months, but now he was gone because he helped Mirio.

His family would never get to say goodbye to him. They would never know what had happened, why Ace hadn't gone home. Eri was crying, but was silent. Mirio would protect her, but he couldn't bring himself to fight.

Until he saw something moving on the ground. It was little, but bright, right where Ace had disappeared. It was a tiny orange and blue flame. What was left of Ace. He put Eri down for only a second before he went underground and shot up, picking it up before dashing back to Eri. it didn't burn him, and he was able to rip off some of his cape and make a small bag for it, stuffing it into his shirt.

It didn't burn out, since he could feel its heat against his chest. Ace couldn't be dead, he was too strong. So he'd get his hopes up that Ace was still there. Still savable. He'd saved everyone time and time again. They needed to return the favor and do anything possible to save him.

Overhaul, still moaning in agony and burnt beyond recovery still had his hands, whether they were able to turn into fists at all, he still had his quirk. It had weakened but was still there and still dangerous. Mirio didn't know what to do. Ace would know. He would have saved Eri better. He should have been the one to stay. He was more capable, would never let his friends die.

So he was so relieved when back up came through the wall. Midoriya, Eraser Head, and Nighteye burst in, and Midoriya went straight for Overhaul, punching him in the cheek, into a burn on his face, him unable to stop himself from screaming. Even though he was still conscious and fighting, he was in agony and more clumsy. Ace could have taken care of him in an instant.

Mirio was unable to. He had for a couple minutes before he got back to Eri and picked up the flame.

The punch sent Chisaki crashing into the ground, tearing some of the fresh and bubbling burns, making him bleed and scream. Eraser Head erased his quirk. Nighteye landed next to Mirio, who was clearly out of action. His face blank and sad, holding Eri tightly.

"Where's Ace?" he asked.

Mirio looked down. He couldn't get their hopes up about the flame. "Ace... is gone. His own fire burnt him into nothing, protecting me. He was always the better one, I should have been the one to go."

Midoriya and Nighteye looked very upset, but unlike Mirio, they were still in the fight. "Even with burns, I was unable to fight him," Mirio said. Nighteye could tell he was unable to fight, and instead told him to get Eri far away from there. It was the only thing Mirio could do right now. He nodded and ran through the hole in the wall, getting away from Overhaul. He shouted that he wasn't going anywhere, but his quirk was not working, and Mirio got away.

At least they saved her. Ace had said they weren't going to beat Overhaul, they were going to save Eri. So at least they were able to do that. The tears were running down his face and dripping pink drops onto Eri's dress as they mixed with the blood splattered or dripping down his face.

When Eri tried to get down, Mirio held her tighter. When they made it to safety, out of the range where Overhaul could reach. Mirio put Eri down and tried his best not to be weak in front of her. Well, he had already shown it when he couldn't fight anymore. "I'm sorry I couldn't be your hero," he said.

Eri replied, "You saved me. Both you you. You… did that all for me… why?"

Mirio put his hand on her head. "Because every innocent person deserves saving. You needed saving, and we weren't going to let you slip away again. I'm sorry, for the first time. And Ace was, too," he answered. She had tears in her eyes.

"He died because of me. If you hadn't come here, he wouldn't have died. I'm sorry, I kill everyone. Chisaki is right, I am cursed," she lamented.

Mirio got on his knees. "Ace saved me in that last moment. He didn't sacrifice himself for you. And I don't think any of us thought that the drug would work on him. He didn't have a quirk." She pointed out that people lose their quirk, they don't do what Ace had. "I don't know. He told me that he burned off medicine. And this was a drug. Maybe… maybe it was too hard for his body to handle. And it tried burning it away. But it failed."

Mirio took the little pouch out and untied it to see the tiny flame. It hadn't gone out or caught the baggy on fire. "I don't know if this will do anything. I don't know if it will grow, but I will keep it safe. Maybe Ace isn't completely gone," he said with a watery smile. "He was so cool, Eri. The things he could do. He fought alongside All Might!"

Eri smiled a small one that probably wasn't sincere. "Why don't we go find everyone? I'm pretty beaten up," he said. They walked down the halls, trying to find everyone. But he wasn't Ace, he couldn't find his way back to everyone. They wandered around before they heard voices and hurried forwards.

"Lemillion, you got her! What about Chisaki?" Rock Lock asked. He replied that Deku, Nighteye and Eraser Head were fighting him, but he was severely weakened. "Where's Firefist?"

Mirio's face fell. "Ace is gone. He protected me from the drug that would have taken my quirk. It reacted badly for him and his fire burnt him into ash. There was nothing left afterwards. He did most of the work to find her. Even as he died, he severely wounded Chisaki." The heroes and police fell sad. Ace had done so much, so for him to die was a heavy blow. And not only because they lost someone who could have helped against the League of Villains more. Ace had been a good person. And it was sad that a good person died in what sounded like a painful way.

Ace was gone, but maybe this little flame was hope that it wouldn't stay that way.

-x-

Ace's flame was in a glass case with holes in it, trying to protect it from anything that could possibly harm or blow it out. It was in the vault in the back of the principal's office, kept there for safety. It had been two weeks and the flame had grown bigger. Not by much, but bigger and had more blue mixed in it now, though the blue parts looked a little different.

People came to visit it every day, mostly All Might and Mirio. Nobody else knew about what Nighteye had seen. Nobody else needed to get their hopes up. Ace had already defied Nighteye's power before.

What he saw was unclear, and barely anything helpful. All it was was a large chair with a blurry man and the sea behind them. The man was huge, and only All Might knew who or where that was. Nighteye had seen Ace's home. Two weeks had passed, making it almost a month since he last arrived.

But it was good to know that he somehow got back to his home.

When All Might had been told about Ace's last moments, he hadn't hidden the sorrow and grief on his face. He and Ace had connected, and for him to die from his own power burning him away was horrid. And he was screaming in agony while it happened. Everyone was glad they had not been Mirio in that situation.

He'd fallen into a depression and guilt and grief. Nighteye gave him time off to recuperate. He'd lost his partner that he spent so much time with, laughing and fighting together. It was a heavy loss for many people. None of the kids knew about the flame, they just knew that Ace had died in action, while helping a friend. A noble way to go, but terrible nonetheless

It was nearly the third week, fifth week since he came, that there was a big change. Nezu was in his office before he heard the sound of breaking glass and opened the door to see the flame had flared and was no longer small enough to remain in the glass case. It hadn't burnt the wood table it was on or emit any heat. But it was bigger.

The size of a basketball maybe, with more and more blue mixed into it. He smiled and left to tell All Might the good news, which he would then tell Mirio. When they came back, All Might smiled. He was fitter now, no longer looked like a skeleton, but he still had a long way to go. He followed Ace's cruel work out regime and diet. And it paid off.

All Might gasped, recognizing the flames finally. They were Marco's flames. Ace had told him he'd been given Marco's blood before leaving so that any wounds may be healed easier. Was that decision the reason the flame existed and got bigger?

They set up a motion detection camera that was linked to the teachers' phones. If there was large movement in the room from the flame, they would know. They also let Nighteye have that. Not Mirio, or he'd be checking his phone obsessively.

He blamed himself fully. Hopefully Ace returning in any form would burn away that guilt. Surely Ace didn't blame him. He had sacrificed his health for All Might in their big battle. His body was tired and battered yet he continued until he had zero strength left. Not even enough to make it back on his own.

He would save his friend in a moment. But they wondered how long it had been for his family. They must be so worried and scared.

Only a day later, the flame burst to three times its size, wider than before. More like a line of flame. Nighteye was the first to notice the alarm on his phone, and sent it to Mirio, since it was his off period. He rushed over and saw the blue and red flames bigger and flatter. He grit his teeth, not wanting to hope, and went to Ace's room to get his shorts and hat. He set them on the table next to him.

He sat there for a bit, but nothing was changing and class was starting again.

So, Ace had reformed and woken up alone. He could barely move, and felt cold. He saw his hat, and reached for it. He was able to sit up just barely, and drape the shorts over him, unable to move enough to put them on fully.

He closed his eyes, and suddenly remembered what had happened. His own power killed him. He lit his finger on fire and grew pale. He let it go out quickly, breathing heavily. It had been agonizing. His body was being burnt into nothing. Why had it happened? And why was he here? Surely he'd have stayed dead permanently.

As if his body knew what he was thinking, and a blue flame licked up his arm. It didn't scare him like his own had. It was Marco who saved him. If Marco hadn't had the idea of giving him blood, Ace had no doubt he'd be gone for forever.

He started to tear up, desperately wanting to go home. He didn't want to be here anymore. He wanted to leave and never come back. He'd enjoyed his time, had accepted that he might stay, either by force or choice, but those feelings were gone. Fully, he never wanted to come back. The last things he remembered thinking in the pain was his family's faces. What they would think if he just never came home to them.

If Ace was going to die, he wanted it to happen with his family. He didn't want to come back ever again. He'd miss Mirio, but not enough to warrant choosing him over his family. But he wanted to let Mirio know he didn't blame him. He'd been crying his name in the end. Ace wondered if the mission failed because he had been gone. He just hoped his blunder hadn't hurt anybody else and ruined the mission.

But, he saved Mirio from being quirkless, losing all that hard work. Losing his future as a hero. He'd already seen what it did to All Might, but he was prepared. He finally got up and dressed himself before someone came running over. His haki still worked perfectly fine. He'd lost nothing but confidence from dying.

It was Mirio, who ran up to him and hugged him, apologizing profusely. That he'd gotten in his way, and that he should have been the one to die. Ace would have been able to finish the mission himself. Ace let him cry and lament until he knew he was done. He was hugging him back.

"I don't blame you. I didn't expect… that, but I couldn't let you become quirkless. The mission was a success?" he asked. Mirio nodded, saying that Chisaki had died from his injuries, a major amount of them being the burns he got from Ace in his last moments.

Ace then looked distant, backing up and sitting back down on the table. "I'm… I'm not gonna come back. I'll do everything I can to never come back here."

Mirio asked, "W-Why? We know now that it won't happen again! You don't have to feel guilty about it and leave-" he said in worry, clearly panicking.

"I don't want to leave because of guilt," Ace said quietly. He clenched his shorts in his shaking hands. "The pain I was in physically was nothing compared to knowing my family would never see me again. I didn't get to say goodbye. They wouldn't know what happened, just that I was gone. I saw their happy faces and it made the death so much worse." He had tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I can't risk that again. I… I want to go home," he said, crying. He put his face in his hands.

"You have other friends, you don't need me. But I don't have another family. I'll miss you a lot. But I can't live here in peace for any amount of time knowing I could die and leave them hanging for forever. I'm selfish as a person, but I could never put my family in such pain," Ace explained quietly. "There are plenty of pro-heroes, I'm not needed. I'm sorry, Mirio."

Mirio walked up to him and touched his shoulder, smiling a watery smile, but a true smile nonetheless. "What kind of hero would I be if I made my friend stay in a place he doesn't want to?" he said kindly. "What kind of person would I be if I made my friend go through pain, emotional or physical?"

Ace sniffled and smiled. "I'll always treasure my memories of fighting with you. And we saved Eri and more. How long have I been asleep?"

Mirio answered, "Three weeks. You've been here for five." Ace frowned. His family was no doubt worried about him. He felt a strange feeling, and had a feeling he'd be going back. "I will come back to say goodbye. I promise," and he was gone, landing on his bed. He stood up and ran out onto deck, hugging the nearest brother, Thatch and bursting into sobs, gripping the back of his shirt tightly.

"Ace! Where were you? It's been way over an hour!" Thatch hugged him back. Others gathered, glad Ace was safe but not knowing what happened to make him like this. Had something bad happened again? Thatch sat down with Ace, who continued to cry in his shoulder, unable to stop the tears of relief.

Marco came over and Ace cried even more at seeing him, who saved his life. He would have died if he hadn't had any of Marco's blood in him. "I died. I died there. I burnt to death in my own flames. It was so painful, but all I thought was that I'd never see any of you again."

Shock erupted on deck, and worry and horror as well. They demanded to know the story, so Ace told them everything. How he felt, his talk with All Might, his time at Nighteye's, the patrol he went on and met Chisaki, the missions he and Mirio went on, and the raid to save Eri. It was a wild story full of twists and turns, but it all ended with one lingering feeling in everyone.

Ace will never go back. Well, to say goodbye, but that was it. After that, he didn't want to ever return. They would tear the world apart to find a solution to keep him there. Marco was the only one who asked, "Is that really what you want Ace? You seemed to like that world, finally."

Ace nodded firmly. "I will always choose you guys first. I love Miriro, he's a wonderful person and friend, but nobody will ever eclipse my family. I will never leave you and risk dying. Dying without any of you there to be with me. I love my life here, I choose this one. I choose this world to be my home."

Marco nodded. "Then welcome back. We're gonna get this figured out. Only three weeks left. Then we'll have the first and best chance to end this. You can't have any regrets, Ace," he said emphatically. Ace nodded, said he would have none. The option of choosing to share his time was gone. Burnt away like his whole body had been. He wouldn't be invincible anymore, he wouldn't be able to swim, would be injured by other devil fruit users and haki.

But it wouldn't be that hard to adjust back to. He'd fall back into step easily. Once he put that all behind him, he would carry on. This choice wasn't just a choice he wanted to stay. It was a vow that he would stay with his family and never put their relationship at risk. Ace hadn't really thought about the fact that if he died he might not get to say goodbye to them.

After all, there seemed to be nothing there to kill him. But when it happened, Ace realized the hard truth of the matter. This was not a small decision made in haste. It was in his heart. It was all his being that was choosing this. There would be no regrets. He would be sad about Mirio and All Might. Never seeing them again.

He felt cruel to think of it this way, but they were a little price to pay. He knew them for a couple months. Sure, he clicked and had adventures there with Mirio and All Might, but being a Whitebeard was more than working for a school or agency. Being a Whitebeard was a way of life, one that Ace swore to when he got his tattoo he was so proud of.

Like a couple of times when he came back, he stuck to his brothers and father like glue. Only this time was different. Every time he looked at them, he held onto them as if they were going to die and he'd never see them again. Like what he did and how they almost never saw him again. Would his body have stayed there? If it was a body and not the small flame? He could remember some of what happened when he was a flame. He remembered Mirio crying over the small flame, and even after it started to grow.

He would miss him. But Mirio had other good friends, and Ace had his brothers to fight and have adventures with. Thinking of staying here for good, doing everything they could to keep him in that world permanently, was changing him again.

When they came across an enemy pirate ship, he didn't even notice the smirks and witty banter and purposeful annoyance. He didn't feel the need to keep them alive to get arrested, he didn't think it was wrong to hurt anybody, he didn't think it was wrong to steal from the pirates and leave them stranded.

More than that, he didn't feel conflicted anymore. He'd made his choice, finally, and it seemed to have changed. He hadn't even realized how conflicted and worried he was all this time. How worried he'd been about the future. Even when he was happy, that worry had always been there, undetected until it was gone.

He smiled more with his brothers, goofed off, battled, and drank with them. Not to mention adapting his vular mouth again, saying things that would get him in trouble at work or in front of students. He was a pirate, he had no reason to be proper. He didn't need to watch himself for acting in a criminal way.

All this time he'd been trapped, locked in uncertainty. He knew that they'd do anything to get him back, and though he didn't want to go back, maybe it would be easier, to know what the plan was. What his ultimate choice was.

The others thought it was weird when Ace was happy he fell into the ocean and had to get saved. Being nearly invincible… it wasn't a good thing, he realized that now. It was reckless to believe you were invincible. He had been thinking that the whole time. Here, he had a chance at death and being defeated. And it was thrilling because the risk was always there.

He had bad mouthed this world and blamed it for the bad things he did, but this was still his _home_ world. When he was there, it didn't bother him. This was how it was and always would be. The world would never be organized or fair as long as the world government was in power, but that wasn't his problem.

As pirates, they would bend to no government, so it wasn't their problem. They went against it no matter what. He was also happy to have his responsibilities back. Being a commander and all, knowing that would always be his job. He didn't work for anyone but Pops. It was just how it was and should be. All of his experience here had been life saving there.

He was happy. That he'd made his choice and nothing and nobody could change it. He finally came to peace with who he was. He was a pirate, not a hero under some organization. He knew the heroes could deal with the nomus, even if it wasn't instant for them like it was with Ace's haki. They would lose a lot of help when Ace left. But he didn't need to worry about it.

It _wasn't_ his problem. The League of Villains, well, he hated them, but not just because they were bad. They were annoyingly persistent. How the hell had they been moving with all of those burns? That bugged him, but he felt a little detached now. It didn't concern him anymore. Well, it wouldn't soon.

Marco had told him he aged half the pace normal people did in the amount of time he'd been there, so he didn't lose too much time with all of this.

Things weren't normal this time. He'd stayed in that world for five weeks last time. Not with his knowing, but he spent too much time there. So, he stayed with his crew the whole three weeks on their way to the island, helping out with the storms, enemies, and everything thrown at them on that wild, exciting sea.

He would not be living away from the sea anymore. The vast sea would always be where he spent his time. He wouldn't look out the window and see the same scenery every night and day. It was exciting, knowing they were going around the world and not in a fixed location.

They made it to the island on time. But Ace didn't let them go on it until he said goodbye. He was sitting in his room, wishing things would hurry up already, that he could go and come back. Say goodbye like he promised he would. It would be easier to just leave, but Ace wasn't a liar and he wasn't going to leave Mirio and All Might hanging. It would be a concise goodbye.

So, while he was thinking of that, he disappeared again, only this time it was where he'd woken up after being a flame for three weeks. His brothers helped him be unafraid of his powers again. But, he'd always fear black flames, the flames that ripped him apart completely. He didn't like to think about it.

He left the safe to go find All Might first. He had everything he'd come with so long ago. His clothes, his dagger and his hat. On his way to where he knew All Might was, he stopped by his room. He looked around, seeing the piles of fan mail. It made him smile. It was so silly. His brothers thought it was just so funny, and so did he.

The little figures he'd been sent that were on his dresser. He picked up the one made of him and All Might fighting together, and stuck it in his pocket. He continued his way to All Might, finding him in his office. He didn't know what time it was, but he knocked on the door and found him in there. "Ace-san!"

"Hey, you've been doing my work outs!" All Might grinned and nodded. "I came to say goodbye. I've made my choice and I know it won't be changing," he said with a soft smile, so happy with just how sure he was. He didn't feel an ounce of hesitation, even seeing him and the stuff in the room here.

All Might nodded. "Young Mirio told me. That was a week ago, I'm sure he's worried that you wouldn't come say goodbye." Ace was surprised it had been a week-long absence. He asked how Eri was doing. "You can go see her, she's here." Ace declined. He didn't want to talk to anybody but All Might and Mirio. "Well, it will take years for her to ever overcome the trauma she's been through and to master her quirk, but she seems happier, even if she hasn't smiled. Especially with young Mirio and Midoriya."

Ace was glad that their kindness had done something for her other than just free her. "And what happened to Chisaki?" he wondered.

"He's dead. The burns and injuries he sustained killed him," All Might replied. He looked at Ace closely and said, "We will be fine without you. Don't have an ounce of regret."

Ace nodded. "Thanks, but I won't have regrets, I've done this before. When I said goodbye to my life on my home island, knowing I would probably not return or see any of the people there. But, it was the best choice I could have made, and this one is, too. My family and my time with them matters more than any incredible adventure."

All Might nodded, summing up, "Family is first." Ace nodded in agreement and asked where Mirio was. "In class right now. It should be out soon." Ace thanked him and cleaned out his room, along with the fan mail in storage. He burnt all of the letters, not feeling guilty. He wasn't the hero, after all. He ran from the law and had fun while doing it.

But, he kept that small figurine. Once he was done, his room looked like it was new. It was swept and dusted, the sheets folded nicely. It looked like he'd never been there. That was what he was hoping for. That people would move on from him quickly. He didn't want anyone to depend on him anymore. Besides his crew, of course.

He found Mirio with Freckles. Well, he'd say goodbye to Freckles as well, if needed. He walked up to them and smiled. "Hey. Sorry it took so long, I guess the last visits are kinda wonky," he said. Mirio stood up and grinned, saying he thought he had left and wouldn't be able to come say goodbye. "I wouldn't do that.

"I enjoyed our time together a lot. A different slice of life. But I've made up my mind. We found the island again, we haven't stepped foot on it yet. But I am sure that things will go back to normal. It's my hunch, and we know that stands for something now, I guess," he said cheerily.

Freckles looked sad. "You're really going for good?" Ace nodded. "Thanks for helping me all those times. I really appreciate it." The eldest smiled and said he was welcome. He shook his hand, and hugged Mirio. He was glad the blonde wasn't crying. It would be a sad ending.

"Have a good adventure causing trouble, pirate," Mirio said with a grin.

"You too, capable marshmallow," Ace replied. He saw Mirio's lip waver just slightly, but he laughed. "Don't forget me."

"I don't think anyone will be able to forget you. Goodbye, Ace," Mirio said with finality.

"Goodbye, Mirio." And he was gone. He didn't see anything after he left, landing back on his bed. He took a deep breath and touched his pocket. The figure wasn't there. He still had the tiny chef and bird keychain. But he would remember everything, so that figurine would only be something to look at fondly, not to remember.

He went out on deck, and everyone had their weapons ready. They rolled cannons through the woods that had been cleared by swords. They all stood in the forest in front of the cave. "Are you sure he shouldn't walk through it again, like, to undo it?" Haruta asked warily.

Ace said, "I'm not walking through that again. Who knows where I'd be sent this time." He took a deep breath. This had to work or his resolve would end up hurting him, that he'd come to his choice with finality only for it to not have meant anything. It would have to go back after that. "Okay. One, two, three," and everyone fired their weapons and devil fruits at the cave, shattering the cliff it was in, crumbling the ceiling from the inside and with rocks counseling the entrance as it collapsed.

All that was left was a huge pile of rock and dust in the air. They all felt a slicing sensation go through their heads, having splitting headaches. "What the… did we already dock here?" Izo asked.

"Why do we have cannons? Oh, I've got a bad headache," Thatch whined. Always whining. But it was weird. And they were all staring at the pile of rocks. None of them remembered why they came here or what the point was of destroying that cave.

It started to rain and everyone headed back to the ship in a hurry. Nobody remembered the last couple of months. Ace didn't either. All of it was gone. The adventures he had had left him completely. Nothing felt out of place. There was no key chain on his hat's string.

But every night after that, he had vivid dreams of a completely different world, where devil fruits were not devil fruits, but something called quirks, and everyone had them. Ace saw himself as some kind of superhero, fighting evil, which made everyone laugh when he said it. Of a school, which he'd never heard of before. And mainly two people popped up a lot. A blonde young man with a happy face. The face was always smiling or laughing. And the other was a buff man who also sometimes was skinny.

They were nice dreams, and Ace always woke up from them, smiling, and hoping the story they told wouldn't come and end anytime soon. For some reason, he felt like he could be close to those two faces. That he had actually had times with them.

Maybe it was a past life. Izo was the one to call it that. Or he hadn't known he'd been ingesting drugs. Ace wanted to keep it a mystery. A pleasant and exciting mystery that he looked forward to seeing more of every night. But he couldn't see himself being a hero much. He stole and fought too much.

Well, in dreams you weren't always yourself. He would always be a pirate with his brothers. But an adventure like the ones in his dreams wouldn't be too bad to go through. He had started writing them down in a journal, remembering the dreams vividly. He had no doubt the final story would be a fun one. Seemed interesting! But one thing was for sure, they made him happy.

* * *

**I ended it with nobody remembering because it was the only way Ace would ever fully move on. He won't miss anybody there, and the stress he went under disappeared. He won't have any sort of lingering trauma from being burned alive by his own flames. But he has fun dreams about it. At least some of his happy times there lasted. There will be no sequel. Imagine what you want about what happened to the other world. Lol at least the whole thing wasn't just a dream. Thanks for reading.**


End file.
